Danielle Terry, Addie Decker, Amy Greenhill, Kelsey RuemlerLEARNING LOG 1
T hank you for the complete log. I appreciate it.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
Why are content area reading strategies (CARS) important for all students at all levels?Amy - I believe CARS is important for students because it gives them greater comprehension of the subject matter. It also helps them absorb the content, and it will hopefully help them remember the material later. CARS should be used at all grade levels because all students need to understand what they are reading. Why are content area reading strategies (CARS) important for all students at all levels?Kelsey: I think that CARS are important for all students because as we grow, we are still learning. CARS are helpful for all of us, they help give students and teachers a deeper insight and understanding of how the content of the reading is used. CARS gives a more personal meaning to the subject and help students find reading more enjoyable. Addie-The most important thing about CARS, to me, is that the text/information students are given is both relevant to the students and is engaging. When students are involved in what they study, they learn more and retain that knowledge longer. Amy - * Are there CARS that meet all the learning styles, or at least most of the learning styles?Swanson: CARS are generally meant to met the learning styles of most students in the classroom because they are interactive, visual, and social. Only when the teacher makes them only verbal/visual is when the problem occurs. For example, the opening strategies just open the lesson and gets the brain started and the vocabulary helps the students know the words so when they read, they have the necessary foundation for comprehension. Then the metacognition helps the brain STAY awake while reading so the information goes into long term memory. Lastly the Closing is summarizing as well as discussing the information. These four steps makes the whole package for learning for all grade levels.
Kelsey: CARS depend greatly on student interaction, what are good ways to engage a shy student or a student who does not want to interact?
*Addie:
I k now that this will vary from student to student because of learning styles and personality, but is there one CARS method that is particularly beneficial for all students?
Swanson: There is no one best strategy for all students. You will have to introduce a set of them (opening, metacognition, vocabulary, and closing) and then as the students master them, then you will introduce another one in that type of set. Eventually throughout the year, the students will have a "backpack" of strategies of which s/he can "choose" the strategy that best fits him/her. Usually a teacher will say to a student, because you are visual, I think the picture dictionary would be the best strategy for you.
Danielle: I think that CARS helps meet the different learning styles that students have and are able to help them connect to the material being presented because it is more interactive. When there is a connection made it help the learner to retain what they have just learned and makes it more enjoyable for them as well.
*Danielle* Are these CARS strategies good for all learning types?
Swanson: I don't think there is one strategy that matches all learning styles. If you would divide the strategies into learning types, that would be great. You will need to find more in the auditory area because I didn't focus on them. For example, for the visual....picture dictionary, sketch to stretch, cartoons would be effective strategies. Thus, if you want to as you print off each strategy you can write in the corner that this one would be great for Visual, for example.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?Amy - Books and electronic resources help with topic understanding because they allow students to see different viewpoints. It helps the students to relate better to the subject because it can be more personable. They also help because students might find them more interesting then the textbook and therefore, may absorb the content better. I know I personally enjoyed reading about the captain trapped in the jungle. The story just made the war more real and vivid for me. It showed how dangerous the war was for soldiers by the captain's description of how he survived. The Vietnam War was just a war to me that I did not know a lot about. Now after reading the text set I can remember aspects of it. I also feel compassion now because I feel like I related to the soldiers and their families.
Kelsey: I think the text set, both the books and electronic resources not only gave me different view points, but also more information, so I could come up with a better understanding of the Vietnam War. I was able to read, enjoyably, different scenarios of the War. I thought this text set made the tragic war very understandable relatable for young students.
Addie: These texts were particularly beneficial to me because they made the Vietnam War more than an event on a time-line. Reading "The Wall" gave me a poignant view of what life is like for those whose family members served in the war and the sacrifices that were made. "Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines" caused me to realize what the soldiers faced in battle and how important their sacrifice for our country really is.
Danielle: I think that all the resources that were used in this text set helped to make the event more real for the students. It was definetly more engaging and helped connect a personal side to what could be just a boring event in history that you read out of a text book. It was certainly more enjoyab
LEARNING LOG 2
T hank you for the complete log. I appreciate it.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Amy – One way that you can improve the topic is by incorporating students’ prior knowledge. This helps the students not only become more interested in the topic, but it also makes them feel secure in the topic because they already know something about it or are familiar with one part of it. Another way you can improve the topic is by actively engaging students. Students do not do well with assigning and telling. It is boring for them. Actively engaging students allows them to do more hands on work and become part of the teaching of the concept. A third way to improve the topic is by integrating content literacy practices and strategies into your classroom. This teaches students how to read to learn and how to better comprehend and remember the content. It also better sets the students up for later in life.
Addie-There are several ways to improve the topic in the classroom. First, it is important to make sure you are teaching using a discipline--reading, writing, talking, listening, viewing, etc. Second, make sure students can construct meaning from what they are reading, and that it will be meaningful to them. Finally, help students activate prior knowledge before you begin. These suggestions will help improve any topic in the classroom.
Danielle- Activating background knowledge is essential in helping students make connections in what you are learning. Also by getting them involved in having hands on activites and actviely engaging them in the material. Making sure that the students are comprehending what they are reading is also important.
Amy - *Testing is huge right now. If content learning strategies are so effective, why do you think so many teachers do the assign and tell method? Is it because they do not know any other way to teach or is it simply laziness? I would really like to hear your opinion on this, Professor Swanson because it is a question that really bothers me.
Swanson: I don't know exactly why they teach and tell. It can be a multiple of reasons. 1) they don't have the time to develop and use strategies because they are working on test practice or discipline. 2) they never been shown strategies use and how to do it in the classroom. 3) they are teaching the way that they were taught. 4) the administration doesn't value alternative ways of teaching and want to teach to the whole class. Like I said, research says the above as reasons for not incorporating learning strategies in the classroom. I hope that you will help others use them.
*Addie-What is a good way to handle all of the pressure teachers face to assign and tell and raise test grades, but be respectful of authorities while not bending on the content issue?
Swanson: You will do what the authorities and mentor teachers tell you to do but you will also at every moment incorporate the best of the research-based strategies into your classroom. When you get tenure or more confidence in your skills, you can be more flexible (if the principal lets you). I know that when you collaborate with your fellow teachers, you can throw in a strategy that is just great for the grade level. The first year, you will be just surviving to learn the school, the students, and the curriculum. As you learn the school, students, and the curriculum basics, you will be able to incorporate better ideas into your lesson plans. Just remember the before, during, and after aspects of a lesson.
Danielle* What is the best way to activate background knowledge?
Swanson: I personally like hands-on ideas. There are virtual field trips or videos of concepts. Then there are real people and experiences and pictures. The one my students liked the best was simulations...playing like the real thing.
Kelsey: Reading requires a person to have a true love and passion for the information they are learning. The authors suggest three points to help reading in the classroom. The first suggestions are to teach you students to be disciplined readers, this stems from the teacher. A student can learn best by you setting a great example. The second suggestion is to personalize the reading material for the students, this will help them want to read and want to learn about the subject. The third suggestion is to activate the knowledge your students already know. This is important because students make grow to have more passion for what they are reading about.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why is reading to learn a strategic, meaning-making process?
Amy – It is a strategic, meaning making process because language and meaning go hand-in-hand. Language is not language unless it is meaning making. So in order for the language, that the reader is reading, to make sense it has to mean something. That is why it is important for students to use reading to construct knowledge. Since students do not come by this naturally, so teachers need to introduce strategies to the students to help them learn how to read to learn. The goal we want to reach is that students will use reading “to construct, clarify, and extend meaning” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
Kelsey: I think that reading is a strategic meaning-making process because it is such a personal experience. I do not enjoy reading about subjects that I am not interested in, therefore I usually read what I find interesting. I think that the spark of passion behind reading is what makes it so meaningful. The strategy is also important; each person has their own reading style, learning you personal style can help you be a more productive learner. Swanson: Reading is strategic because students have to actively select strategies (either graphic or in the brain) ways to remember the process. Reading cannot be done without engagement and motivation which hopefully is intrinsic.
3. Demonstrate the importance of prior learning (schema) has in making reading as a meaning-making process.
Addie- I would argue that schema is one of the very most important components of the meaning-making process in reading, paired only with willingness from the learner. According to Piaget, all knowledge is either assimilated or accommodated based on our pre-existing schemata. I know that I am going to be much more interested in learning about things I like or subjects I already have some knowledge in, because I'm comfortable with these (and interested). Sometimes, students simply do not want to learn, and while this can often be overcome when they are working with subjects that interest them, that they have prior knowledge in, they must also be willing to activate that prior knowledge. So it is not just having prior knowledge, it is activating and building onto that knowledge that causes meaning to occur.
Danielle- I believe that schema is extremly important in aiding students in making connections to the material being presented to them. By making them think of things that they already know they are able to make connections to what is being made therefore it can be stored into long term memory. By having backgroung knowledge and making the material have a personal connection they are more likely to be enagaged in learning. Building on the knowledge they already have is essential for learning.
4. Evaluate your skills to the chart on page 21. How good of a reader are you?
Amy – I would say that I am an okay reader. I always thought of myself as a good reader because I read for pleasure so much. However, after looking at the chart on page 21, I see my faults as a reader. I do not do a lot of the things that the chart says makes a good reader. I never think about the authors, I just jump right into the content and only think about the authors if forced to. I am also a lazy reader. I do not try to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words or concepts in a text unless I think they are important. Overall, I was disappointed in myself. I read more than anyone I know but according to this chart I could be a better reader. I now understand why I can remember vividly the content in the books I read for pleasure but not the content in the books I am required to read.
Addie- I would say I am a good reader, but I definitely have a few things I could improve on. For example, I always have goals in mind and am strategic and always reconstructing meaning or questioning because of what I read, but I do not always pre-read or create summaries of what I read, particularly when reading for school.
Kelsey: I think that I am a mediocre reader. I have the persistent and productivity, I am also thoughtful and evaluate. I lack the strategic and purposeful parts. I usually read for pleasure. Danielle: I always thought of myself as a good reader but I dont use any of the strategies that good readers use. I did enjoy reading when I was younger and somehow over the years i have lost the joy in reading. I would like to improve and incoporate many of the strategies that good readers use and love reading agian. I would love to be a good example for my future students. Swanson: Readers can always improve this craft and art. Readers should actively know (metacognitvely) when they are comprehending and how they can share the information with others. Readers are in constant learning mode. Teachers need to share this information with their students that they are also learning to be better readers and writers. Reading is never stagnant but alive. 5. Authentic question: Interview a content area teacher on effective teaching strategies that he or she uses to engage students in learning.
LEARNING LOG 3 Swanson: Thank you for sharing your experiences, your learning, and your thoughts about the new literacies. These literacies are not new now.....Everyday, there is a newer literacies and these listed in this book are now OLD. Oh, that means we always have to be on top of this field.
I really enjoyed all of your participating and adding so much to the WIKI. THanks you.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
I know Danielle: The author suggests to use more visual art activites to help the students with their comprehension skills, which helps in all areas of learning. Have the students participate in blogs and wikis to help build knowledge collaboratively in a common environement. Also, have the teacher be an example for the students by participating in the blogs, wikis, and such to not only show the students what to do but to also monitor what is going on and being said. I think that incorporating new literacies in the classroom is an essential part of the curriculum these days and i thought the author had a lot of really good ways and ideas of doing so.
Amy - One way to improve the topic is to use Webquests. I had to make a Webquest for my Technology in Education class, and I thought it was really beneficial and fun for the students. If you do not want to create your own Webquest, you can use one someone else has already made. It is a really fun way, and a simple way, to teach a concept. Another way to improve the topic is to use Wikis in your classroom. Wikis allow students to discuss a topic online, and it gives everyone an opportunity to participate. Still another way to improve the topic is to teach students how to recognize valid information. This shows students how to recognize propaganda and to find more authentic websites to get their research.
Amy - *In the voices from the classroom excerpt, William mentioned using Twitter in his classroom. My question is how exactly would that be beneficial to students or how can you use it to benefit students?
Swanson: I personally hate Twitter and I would love to find out how teachers could use it in the classroom. I can see some possibilities but someone has to show me the benefits. I worry about bullyism, sly comments, weak performances by "struggling" readers.
Addie-To improve the topic in the classroom, the authors suggest using internet communication sites, such as blogs, wikis, and nings that allow students to learn collaboratively. They also suggest using using internet workshops, webquests and internet inquiries that allow students to learn individually and at their own pace. Most importantly, to improve the topic in the classroom, teachers need to create a multimodal learning environment that meets the needs and learning styles of every student, and addresses the skills of today's technologically advanced students.
Kelsey: The author discusses many ways of improving the overall comprehension of the class. One way is through visual representation. By using visual representations, students are not only visually stimulated and interested in the topic, but can also implement it to longer term memory by using the image of the topic. I, personally, find visual representations helpful. The second way to improve your classroom is web-based discussions. The students are able to interact with each other on a very comfortable level, since they are already able to use blogs and chatting, these web-based discussions can be very beneficial for students. The third way to improve the topic in the classroom is modeling the use of the technology yourself. I think the teacher that is able to get on the same level as the students with the same technology will be able to reach her students more easily. CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why is learning with new literacies essential for implementation into the curriculum?Danielle: New literacies there is a variety of resources hat can be used that can meet the various learning styles and present different forms of representation. They also enable the students to become more engaged in learning and be involved in a mix of individual and collabrative activities which, i believe, creates a better learning environment for the students and enables them to become more engaged in learning.
Amy – “Helping students to learn with new literacies is part of making sure that they are prepared for life in the 21st century” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). We live in a world where technology is involved in everything. We need to teach students how to use new literacies effectively now so that it will benefit them later in life. Also “practically all of the national education associations in the various academic disciplines have developed content standards or statements of principle that implicitly or explicitly acknowledge the proficient use of technologies for information and communication” (Mraz, Vacca, and Vacca). I personally believe this is so we can show students how to find the best websites, and to teach students exactly what they are seeing. It is important for students to understand what they are seeing so they will not be persuaded by propaganda or false information. I believe it is essential to learn with new literacies so students can become more educated on new technology and prepared for the future. The book also believes it is important because it teaches “students to think and learn in a multimodal environment” and it “helps students learn content” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). :) :) :)
Addie- Learning with new literacies is vital for today's curriculum because today's students are so unique. Most students today spend free time and even "family time" using media. These students are accustomed to the fast pace and creative environments offered by video games, television, etc--not to a calm, mentally visual reading environment. Our textbook teaching strategies can not compete with what students today do outside of school. We have to meet them where they are--almost like a child with special needs--we have to adapt our teaching strategies and curriculum to how these students will learn best. In the long run, this is an awesome opportunity because we, as educators and as individuals, will learn and grow as well!
Kelsey: I think that learning with these new literacies is very important for two reasons. The first is that it can give students a level of comfort since they already know how to use many of these technologies. These students can better look at the curriculum rather than worry about the way they will be forced to learn. The second reason is that our world is moving faster towards these technologies and students need to be prepared to use these technologies in everyday life.
3. What are the similarities between the new literacies and the traditional print? What are the differences? What is the same? Use a Venn diagram.
4. Why are the new literacies not integrated into the most classrooms?Danielle: Educators are scared that the students will lose "book knowledge" and will lose the ability to read, write, and speak anymore. In my opinion, our society is so media based and even though it is not reading out of a book or writing on paper these skills can still be learned. We should not completly lose learning from books but we should also embrace all the technological resources we have at our fingertips.
Amy – I believe that these new literacies are not being implemented in the classroom because most teachers do not know how to use them effectively. I also believe some teachers are not aware of some of the new literacies or how they can benefit their class. I do think that that new literacies are important to have in the classroom. Teachers need to take the time to learn about the new literacies and to implement them into their classroom. It will only benefit the students in the long run.
Addie- There are many reasons why new literacies are not being introduced into today's classrooms. Like Amy, I believe that teachers do not know/feel they know how to adequately use the new resources. Some educators feel that they are too old to learn new ways, and that if the old ways worked for previous students, they should work for today's students. I think we even take some offense at the idea that how we were taught is no longer good enough, and so teach only how we were taught. Another reason that new literacies are not used is simply that it takes time and energy to research and know how to use the new literacies, and many people just do not want to make that investment.
Kelsey: I think that these new litereacies are not integrated in classroom because the teacher does not know how to use them, that they exist, or is too stubborn to learn the new material. Learning to adapt to the new literacies is very important. There are also reasons, such as school funding.
5. Authentic question: Interview a middle-school or high school student about the use of electronic texts. What types of skills and strategies do students need to possess in order to use electronic resources effectively.
*Addie-The textbook talks about nonlinear reading, and how great this is that students can now read in an order comfortable to them. This being the case, are students losing out on important skills and reading elements, such as chronological order, timelines, etc?
Swanson: There is always a place for linear products. The Internet is based on the "spider leg" concept and a student can go off and branch off and continue to branch off. I found that many intermediate students didn't know this branching and instead of backing up, they just turned off the computer and said, "I'm lost." The reason for this is no one showed them the set up of the virtual text and in their pasts, they had only linear text.
LEARNING LOG 4
I am very appreciative about the quality and completeness of the responses for the wikis. I thank you for doing your best.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Addie-This chapter was is full of good ideas to improve the topic in the classroom and to make the topics more relevant to the students. The first thing we can do is to introduce and emphasize multicultural books across the curriculum and in our class library. These help students identify with a literary character and find a place in the class, not to mention helping other students respect differences. Another thing to improve the topic is teach for cultural understanding, preferably using the transformative and social action approaches. A final important method to improve topic is to adapt instruction of content to provide comprehensible input, develop vocabulary and engage students.
*Addie-I understand the basics of the Sheltered Instruction approach, but how does this really look in practice? Is it very effective?
Swanson: I have used and taught SIOP and it works!!!! It is fabulous lesson plan for all students because it gives a procedure to think and do to make sure that all students can be taught.
Kelsey: The three major ways I can improve the topic are incorporate other cultures in my classroom, creating an environment where all cultures are welcome, and adapt my curriculum to meet the needs of all my students. Incorporating multicultural information in my classroom can be as easy adding books on the other cultures or as challenging as creating a unit lesson plan on the culture. Having an environment where are cultures are welcome can be fulfilled by having students from other cultures show and tell about their lives or bring someone from home to discuss the culture. Adapting my curriculum to fit their needs is just part of teaching; I plan to adapt my lessons to fit the needs of all of my students, not just the multicultural ones.
Danielle: One thing the author suggests is to have a library of multicultural books in the classroom. This not only gives students something to read but it helps them to recognize the uniqueness of different cultures. Also, to have a culturally responsive classroom which helps to have an enviroment that embraces and celebrates the different cultures. Integrating a curriculum that is diverse and reaches all the cultures in the classroom is another important thing to incorporate in the classroom.
Amy – One of the ways the authors suggest to improve the topic in the classroom is to use multicultural literature. The authors say that these texts are not only engaging but that they provide access to unique contributions of each culture and the similarities of the human experience across cultures. They also help nonmainstream cultures appreciate and value their heritage, and they give all students the benefits of understanding ways of knowing about the world that is different from their own (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). Another way is by having a culturally responsive instruction. This is instruction that is responsive to cultural differences in the classroom and makes connections to students’ background, origins, and interests. This results in learning becoming more relevant because teachers are drawing on students’ prior knowledge and experiences (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). Yet another way is by using the SIOP model to help ELL. This model helps design lessons that integrate content learning with additional language support for English learners. It also helps teachers become more aware of highly effective practices and behaviors that will help students. Finally, it provides an observational framework for rating teachers in sheltered classrooms (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
Amy - *Professor Swanson, are there any websites that particularly help ELL have an easier transition into the classroom?
Swanson: There are multiple websites for ELL students. I particularly like the reading sites which read the books, have the students able to click on a word and the definition comes up, then there are activities to do after the activity. There are webquests that help with a topic because the learning is interactive. There are movies and other interactive sites which help students do, hear, as well. There is Dragon Speech which reads texts to the student. There is Dragon Write which will write what is said. The information and the possibilities are endless.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. What is culturally responsive instruction look like to in the content area classrooms.
Addie-Culturally responsive instruction in the content area classrooms is adaptive. It allows for comprehensible input, vocab development, differentiation between intensive and extensive reading, utilizes repeated reading, and actively engages readers.
Kelsey: I think culturally responsive instruction looks like all of the students accepting the other students, working together to come to an understanding of why a culture believes this or works this way. I think this can be achieved in all classrooms, if the teacher is willing to invest time in the classroom for this kind of understanding.
Danielle- Culturally responsive instruction is teaching the students to embrace one another's cultures and by giving them an opportunity to learn about eachother's culture. Teaching by example is important and teaching them to work together and accept one another.
Amy – The teacher in the classroom has high expectations of the students, and she supports the students so that they can reach them. The teacher also has positive relationships with the families and the community. The curriculum has been shaped so that it meets the standard-based curriculum, as well as incorporating students’ cultural backgrounds. The teacher uses active teaching methods that involve students throughout the lesson. The teacher also works as a facilitator and the students control portions of the lessons. Finally, assignments are normally completed in groups to create low anxiety (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
3. Support sheltered instruction for English-language learners to make content more accessible to them while providing additive language support
Addie-This seems like a common sense thing to me, because this is how I have been taught to teach EL students, but sheltered instruction, as I understand it, is scaffolding. We teach students in content areas beginning with what they know and moving from there (in both subject and language). This helps them feel comfortable and adapt easier.
Kelsey: I think the support and individual attention given to ELL students or multicultural students can give them excellent support and create a life-long learner. Students that need that special attention, even with a language barrier, are sometimes forgotten with the stresses of testing and learning the curriculum. I feel that I would be more than willing to help these students.
Danielle: Getting students engaged in learning is essential. By using sheltered instruction with ELL students, you are able to learn the students and adapt things to fit that student to strengthen comprehension. Being able to encourage them is key and sometimes special attention makes all the difference in the world.
Amy – I would use the SIOP model to help ELL. This model “serves as a blueprint for designing lessons that integrate content learning with additional language support for English learners” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). This model also “enhances instructional delivery by making teachers aware of highly effective practices and behaviors that will make a difference in the academic and language development of students” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
4. Authentic question: Interview a teacher about the strategies he or she uses to met the needs of students with cultural or linguistic differences within the classroom.
LEARNING LOG 5
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.Kelsey: The author discusses several different ways to improve assessment in your classroom. The teacher’s role in authentic assessment, I found interesting and the one I will most likely use in my classroom. The teacher is the major tool, you are to observe the students, provide feedback and give key information. The portfolio style of assessing is another way of testing without high stakes, this gives students a safe environment to create a project of what they have learner. The third way to improve assessment in your classroom is to constantly give feedback. Students need to be able to keep track of their won progress as well.
Amy – One idea that the authors suggest to improve assessing students is to use the CARI. This is a form of informal testing that is given by the teacher over several days. The students are not forced to bubble in answers to questions; instead, they may take a test that is prepared by their teacher. It should help students who cannot sit still for long periods of time, as well as students that do not take tests well since the students are evaluated in a variety of ways. An idea to assess texts in the classroom is to use a readability checklist. This checklist helps teachers find texts that teach students important and interesting concepts that the students can use and will want to apply to their lives. Finally, another way to improve assessment of students is to use portfolios. Portfolios have many positive aspects like letting students reflect on their capabilities, showing the diverse and special needs of a student, showing multiple student produced artifacts, and integrating assessment into the daily instruction.
Amy - *What do you believe is the best way to assess students? Swanson: I love the idea of students to create their own A+ rubric or contract and have them work toward getting the A+. Then there are no surprises or questions. The students know upfront what is expected and they work toward it.
Danielle- The author points out several ways to improve assessment. I really liked the checklist and interviews because the information is preselected and it gives you the ability to zero in on certain kinds of behavior and the interviews allows you to collaboratively interact with your students. I also liked the portfolio assessment because it is an organized way to assess students work and also allows them to assess theirselves and helps to determine futrher instruction. Also something that the author suggested was CARI's which is helpful in determining many things about the students comprehension. Aftering observing a CARI on my internship,I think this is a great tool to use in the classroom. It tells you a lot about the student and lets you know if you need to adjust your instruction to meet the students needs.
Addie-This chapter deals with improving the assessment and topic in the classroom. One of the assessments used to improve the topic is a textbook reliability checklist used to make sure the textbooks are relevant in the class. Using this will improve the topic. Another suggestion to improve the topic is to use a rubric so students know exactly what is expected of them. This doesn't necessarily improve the topic itself, but rather how the topic is received and understood. One other suggestion to improve the topic is to use a portfolio. Portfolios allow students to work with the topic in a new way--to manipulate the topic until they understand that topic.
*Addie-I'm curious about Lexile Levels. I seem to remember a big emphasis on these when I was in school, but this is the first time I have heard of them since being in college. How important are Lexile Levels, and are they commonly used (I know the book says they are--but really?)? Swanson: Lexiles are one of many ways to assess the reading levels of books. Lexiles are not very well known in the parent community so more often than not, reading level is the preferred mode of readability levels. For librarians, they might use the Lexile guide. The concern is that with one book, there can be multiple levels of readability. For example, one book that is recommended for fifth graders has a range of readability from 4.5 (the words) to 9.0 (the content about death of a dog). How can we select books when the authors and the people who score books cannot agree on readability levels?
2. How does a formal, high stakes approach differ from an informal authentic approach? What are the plusses, minuses and interesting facts of each kind of testing?
3. What is your opinion of assessment? What can you do to make sure that you are assessing
what you want to assess? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ASSESS? Kelsey: I think assessment has its time and place, I think it is necessary for the classroom. I think the teacher need to view each assessment in a case by case manner. Assessment can be used to show areas that not only the students need improvement on, but the teacher. The teacher will be able to strengthen the lesson plan to fit the personal needs of each of the students. I think observation is one of the best tools for ensuring you are assessing exactly what you intend to be assessing. I plan to assess the overall progress of all of my students, careful documentation will be needed.
Amy – I believe assessment is important in the classroom. However, I do not think that standardized tests are the best way to assess students. I used to get panicky and stressed every time the standardized tests rolled around. I believe I never once tested at my best ability because I was always so stressed that I was going to score badly. I believe standardized tests do not test students at their best ability because the students are stressed, bored, rushed, exhausted, or not good test takers. I personally believe in observation, interviews, portfolios, and simple quick tests prepared by the teacher. I do not think one method should be the sole evaluation of students. To make sure that I am assessing what I want to assess, I plan on using a combination of observations, portfolios, interviews, and short tests prepared by me. I believe this combination will assess exactly what I want to assess which is if the student is learning the concepts, if the student comprehends the concepts, and if the student needs additional help in an area. I believe my combination will also show me any areas that I might need to improve on.
Danielle- I think that assesment is a good tool to use in the classroom. It helps you know where your students are and helps you determine your instruction. I think different things call for different types of assessment and i plan on incorparating many different types of assessment in my classroom. Assessmet helps you know if your students needs are being met and helps to keep the teacher on track. I am partial to the informal assessments to track the progress of my students. I probably will use portfolios in my class so the students will be able to see theri progress as well.
Addie-I think assessment is VITAL in the classroom. If we do not make sure our students are understanding what we teach, and what they are responsible for knowing, we fail as teachers. However, I also believe that assessment comes in many diverse forms, and each has its place. Because of this, I will use anything from simply monitoring the students, to graphic organizers, to verbal and written tests for my assessments. The way to make sure we test what we need to is simply to assess students on our lesson objectives, but to make sure that those lesson objectives are met in what we have taught. We can only assess students on what we have taught them!
4. Authentic Question: Interview a classroom teacher on how the current educational policy decisions and/or high-stakes testing requirements have impacted his or her teaching practices. I read in these lines the frustration that teachers are having about high states testing and the stress will be more if the state decides to follow merit pay for teachers.
Thank you for taking this book topic and seeing what the real teachers in the real world think about this topic.
(I interviewed a middle school teacher.) She says the policies on high-stakes testing have made teaching more difficult. Her classroom feels more like a workstation than a place to learn or create. She believes in allowing students to learn on their own, with guidance from her, but only when necessary. Have students find what interests them will lead them to other topics; she is usually able to guide them back to the topic area by giving a theme. The students are not able to create their own projects, but are forced to memorize facts and speed read.
Amy – I interviewed a second grade teacher and she has been teaching for twenty-three years. She absolutely hates high stakes testing, because she says that the tests do not focus on everything her students have learned. They also are not appropriate for each student, because some students will never be good test takers. She also says that because of the new policy decisions that she has been forced to cut a lot of the more untraditional teaching strategies that she used to use. She simply does not have enough time in the day to branch out and do creative and fun things for the students when she has to spend so much time in reading and math. She ended by saying that teaching is not as much fun as it used to be.
Danielle- the teacher i interned with was a fourth grade teacher and she hates high stakes testing. her curriculum was interrupted constantly when test time rolled around becasue she just had to focus on the material on the test. science was completly cut out and her time on social studies was cut in half. I think that if the teachers are teaching the curriculum they should not have to alter their schedule to cram in testing material.
Addie-In interviewing two teachers about high stakes testing, they both seem so frustrated. The teachers (5th and 4th grades) both said that there is so much emphasis on high stakes testing that they don't have time to truly teach; they have to just teach to the test. One of these teachers was in a poverty ridden school and she was frustrated that the tests didn't consider the fact that 70% of her fourth graders couldn't even read.
LEARNING LOG 6
I LIKE THE WAY YOU YOUNG LADIES RESPOND, THINK, AND THEN ASK QUESTIONS OF YOURSELF AND OF ME. THANK YOU FOR THINKING, BEING PREPARED, AND BEING ENGAGED.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Amy - * Professor Swanson, do you have a favorite children’s book author that specializes in history books like the ones in the text set? I like Jean Fritz and Polacco particularly. There are many individual authors I like particulary the ones that tell a great story through the pictures. I think that you can tell some of my favorites by the selection I have put in the text sets.
Amy – One point to improve the topic is by using a B-D-A instructional framework. This plan for lessons involves incorporating activities before reading, after reading, and during reading. It also stresses that each area does not need to have the same emphasis on it. The authors warn that this process can take one day or several depending on the concept taught. This strategy is meant to help readers construct meaning by giving them varying degrees of guidance throughout the process. Another point is having an inquiry/research emphasis in units of study. This allows students to approach a concept hands-on and to construct meaning for themselves. The students become more active participants in this type of study. Finally, the authors suggest using collaborative interactions with students. This allows the students to become engaged learners. The students tend to participate more, and it develops students’ self-esteem while enhancing academic achievement.
Addie-This chapter is FULL of wonderful ways to improve the topic. One of my favorites was personal interdependence, which is a process for engaging students in collaborative work. I love this one because collaborative work is so important, but some teachers seem to lose control if they don't have a good plan. This strategy seems to be truly effective in making sure students grasp the content! Another suggestion was to have clearly defined lesson plans. This is truly important because if we do not have a plan for what we are teaching and the content is hastily thrown together, students are cheated of opportunities to learn the content. Another strategy I really liked is the multiple text emphasis. I think this improves topic because it provides students with choices, which will help them to be more interested.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, have you ever used the multiple text emphasis, and if so, was it effective? I used the text set stress when I was teaching in the fifth and sixth grades. I especially chose the books the students were reading in the reading lab by the topic in social studies or science. For example when we were studying WWII, the students in small groups read When Hilter Stole Pink Rabbit (WWII in Switzerland), Ann Frank, The Yellow Star (Norway), North to Freedom (Norway), The Steppe (Russia), etc. The selection of books looked at the WWII from children's points of view from the European countries who were involved in the war. I especially liked it when we were studying Australia and we were reading Mem Fox, Graham Greene, Robert Lawson and more. All of them were children stories and short stories about the region. We also had music and art activities from the art and music teachers who supported the academics in the classroom.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO. Kelsey: The authors suggest the three best ways to teach content literacy is to plan lessons, plan units of study, and plan collaborative interactions. When planning lessons the authors say it is important to incorporate the content with lesson plan formatting and with before, during and after frameworks. While planning units of study, you need well-designed content objectives and interactive activities and text resources. For collaborative interactions, teachers need incorporate cooperative learning small-group processes and classroom discussions.
Danielle- THe author suggests using B-D-A instruction which i feel will greatly benefit comprehension. By doing before, during, andafter reading activites will help the students get more involved in the material. I also liked the the collaborative learning. By incorporating class discussions and group work, I feel students will become more enganged. Another thing the author suggests is to incoproate inquiry based lessons, where the learning is centered around the students.
2. What is involved in designing a text lesson based on a B-D-A instructional framework?
3. How can teachers modify lesson plans to be more student centered inquiry based to connect literacy learning? Kelsey: Teachers and students can collaboratively assign a topic. The teacher must make questions and problems as important as finding the answers, the teacher must provide opportunities for students to find sources that are helpful and provide enough research. The students must be able to present their report to the class.
Danielle- Teachers can provide resources for the students and give them a few guidelines to follow and have them present their findings to the class in a creative ways such as in a play or a skit. This way students are responsinble for the learning and the teacher is acting more like a facilitor.
4. How can content area teachers plan and design instruction for all students to actively engage and motivate participation for literacy-related activities?Addie-The best way to actively engage all students in literacy related activities is to make them student centered. For example, teachers can give students choices, such as in the multiple text emphasis, or they can utilize group work, which helps students build from each other. When using group work, teachers can utilize positive interdependence to increase motivation.
5. Research states Bloom's Taxonomy or another questioning taxonomy benefits comprehension greatly. Why do you think this is so? Kelsey: Yes, I think that Bloom’s Taxonomy and others are very helpful to student’s comprehension. I think they are helpful for both teachers and students. Teachers are able to check the comprehension and the progress of the student. Students are able to exercise their own understanding of the material, they are able to creatively show what they had gotten from the text.
Amy – Bloom’s Taxonomy challenges the reader. It does not just ask questions like what was so-and-so’s name. It also asks questions like justify your reasoning for your answer. The questions depend on where the reader is and how well they can handle the harder questions. I like Bloom’s because it forces students to think critically. I think when students think critically, the information is more likely to stick with them over time because they had to put so much more thought in their answer. It is not also an answer that you cannot find easily online nor can you copy it from your neighbor because it is based on opinion and reasoning. I think this helps with comprehension because students are using their past knowledge to shape their answer (even if they do not realize it). Plus thinking critically always challenges a student more which should help with comprehension.
Danielle- I think that greatly helps with comprehension. It allows the reader to dig down deep and to really think about about the material that was presented to them. When they have to dig down deep students are challenged and that's when i felll connections are made. And it is essential to make connections for students to learn.
Addie- A questioning taxonomy is so effective in developing comprehension because it meets the needs and levels of every learner. Some students won't be developmentally ready to reach a higher level of understanding, but using a taxonomy like Bloom's, we can know what kind of thinking they are ready for and teach them at that level, while helping them work towards the next level. Taxonomies also are important because they teach us about what the next level is. This way we aren't frustrating our kids by asking questions that are too hard, but are questioning them with "just right" questions that build self-confidence!
6.. Authentic questionVisit a classroom and note the details about the discourse which is taking place in a discussion format.
Amy – The classroom I visited this week was a second-grade classroom. (I was visiting it for another class). While I was there, the class had a whole class discussion over spheres, pyramids, cones, cubes, and prisms. The teacher did not start out the discussion by just telling the students what she wanted them to learn. She instead showed them examples of the “shapes” (they were in foam form) and had the students figure out themselves what they needed to learn. In a way, the students taught themselves this lesson, because the whole lesson was taught by discussion between the students. The students were used to this, and they really expected each others’ opinions. If a child was wrong with their answer, they did not jump all over him. They instead explained why he was wrong and how they got the correct answer.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Kesley: The text set and the electronic sources gave me several different ways of reading about the Revolutionary war. I liked the George vs George book. I liked the differnet point of views expressed in the Can't You Make Them Behave, George.
Amy – This text set has really made me understand the Revolutionary War better. I knew about events like the Boston Tea Party, but I have never related personally to it or other like events. By having the events relayed to me in story form, I became more interested in the war. I feel like I better understand why the war was fought and at what price it was fought. My favorite story was The Scarlet Stockings, because it showed that even young girls fought to be free from England. I think this story showed just how important this war was to the people. It also showed that war came at cost to the people, but that they believed it was worth that cost.
Danielle- I really liked Can't You Make Them Behave George. It was really cute and put a personal spin on it so I could understand it better. By presenting material to students in this way will probably get them more engaged in learning and will help them to remember it more.
Addie-The resources in this set are so effective in helping students understand the topic because they make the topic relateable. I think that many students, and even adults, feel as if history is neither understandable nor relateable today. These resources prove otherwise. Books like George vs. George help students see that historical figures were people just like themselves--they had families and a country that they greatly loved. This is the key to helping students understand history--help them understand that history still is relevant and that the people and events do relate to their lives.
LEARNING LOG 7
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Amy – One of the main points is to have the students make predictions. This makes the students recall their prior knowledge on the subject and guess what they believe will occur in the text. Students are more involved through this process, and they are more likely to be interested in the content because they want to see if their prediction was right. The authors also suggest arousing curiosity in the students. This can be done by story impressions, establishing problematic perspectives, or guided imagery. Guided imagery is my personal favorite. I had a teacher who did this with our class, and I absolutely loved it because afterwards I wanted to jump into the text. Finally the authors suggest using questioning. I also really like this idea because I think it gets students actively involved in the topic. Students should like being able to share their opinions and discussing the questions with others.
Danielle- One of the things that caught my attention was that when a student can make the text relevant to their own lives and they can create credible responses their motivation for reading and learning increases. So as teachers we need to personalize the material and make it relevant to the studnets so they are able to make connections and truly learn. It is also important to arouse curosity in the student. By making the studente curious, they are able to raise questions that they can gain answers through reading. A few of the ways that the author gives to arouse curosity making predictions and by creating problems that need to be solved through the text. The author also suggests to use the IEPC strategy for strugging readers. It helps them to create visual images while they read anf helps them to comprehend the text.
Addie-There are so many good strategies for improving the topic in this chapter! Two of the overlying concepts were self-efficacy and motivation. If we can get students to see their value and to see that what they do matters, they will be encouraged to do their best! If we can motivate students, they will be reading and anxious to learn all they can in the class. Another method the author suggests to improve the topic is to establish problematic perspectives. This allows students to see both sides of a situation, and not merely learn a part of the topic. These are all very crucial and very effective strategies for improving the topic in the classroom.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, what is your favorite strategy for ihncreasing motivation? Swanson: I like interests. I think that if the child wants to learn more about something then we should provide opportunities to use that topic to teach the skills we need to teach. I also like contracts based on learning styles.
Kelsey: The authors suggest that teachers should use sel-efficacy, motivation, and curiousity to activate prior knowledge and interest in your students. Self-efficacy is the “I can” belief in students, giving students lessons and texts sets that are on their level will give them this feeling. Breaking down the lesson to a common understanding can give students a sense of empowerment. Motivation is another way to interest students. Self-efficacy and motivatation are interrelated topics. Giving students a level of control over the topics and material will ensure high movitation. Creating curiosity in the classroom allows students to make connections and relate knowledge to the topic. I would give students the opportunity to explore their ideas, which will help with curitosity.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. How can this and other text sets activate knowledge and interest?
Amy – This text set was extremely interesting. It gave readers a unique view on what immigration was like. Students may relate to this text set because they may have family members who immigrated over here or friends that were immigrants. Even if students do not know an immigrant, they should still be interested in this text set. You will never find a description of the conditions immigrants were expected to sleep in inside of a textbook. However, by reading At Ellis Island, students are able to visualize what it was like to be forced to spend the night at Ellis Island. Students are just more likely to relate to the text set then a textbook, because the text set involved the students and evoked emotions from them.
Amy -*Professor Swanson, during WWII when Jews were fleeing to America to save their lives, did they have a better chance at being admitted at Ellis Island? Did they still have to pass the same tests that everyone else did? Do you even know? I know the story The Memory Coat was about Jews, but I was uncertain if this applied to when Hitler was in power. I am not sure if you would even know this, but it was a question that popped into my head after reading the text set. Swanson: I like your question because you are thinking text to the world. I don't know but I asked my husband and he said there was a boatload of Jews who was not accepted by Ellis Island and the boat had to go back to Europe. He also added that after the war, the immigration policy was not slackened. Today we let in refugees from "bad" countries easier than from other countries. I would like to know more about this topic myself.
Kelsey: The Ellis Island text set gave me a better understanding of the struggles of immragtion. The fear and the excitement of traveling and starting a new life were expressed so well. I thinkt hat allowing studetns to see personmal accounts of immragation will allow them to see what it was actually like during this time. I think students will also think about how they would react in these situations. Giving students background knowledge will get students interested in knowing more about a subject that they can now relate to.
3. Why do prereading strategies and activities help with prior knowledge and raise interest in the subject?
Danielle- Prereading strategies help to get the student thinking about what they alreading know and by doing certain strategies that raise their curosity and interest in a subject they will be more intruiged to learn. In the prereading stages if you can make them see how it can relate to them in real life then they have a better chance of comprehending the material. I think that prereading is a very important part of the reading process.
Addie-I think prereading strategies are so important because they 1.) activate learners' background knowledge 2.) get students in the mindset to learn and 3.) peak interest. During a prereading activity, students will likely remember something they had "forgotten" about the topic, will become interested in something they learn about in the prereading activity, or will simply get prepared to focus on something new.
4. Schema theory and visualizations are critical for opening a reader's mind for learning.
5. What are three ways you personally use to help open you mind for learning?
Amy – The first thing I try to do, if possible, is chose materials that interest me most. For example, for one of my classes, I had to read two biographies. I personally am not interested in biographies, but I have always been interested in WWII so I chose to read a biography over Anne Frank (not the Diary of Anne Frank because I have already read that). I enjoyed my biography assignment because I enjoyed the concept of the book I chose. So if possible, I try to choose items that interest me. The second thing I do is break down the assignment. I do not like to spend long periods of time focused on one thing. So when I get an assignment, I start by breaking it down into parts. I start by doing the first part, then I stop with that assignment and go do something else (normally I go to work). Then after a break, I do the next part of the assignment, and then after that part I do something else (like go to bed or do another assignment). I continue this process until my assignment is finished. It is a weird process, but it works for me because I cannot focus on one thing for too long without getting bored. When I get bored, I tend to not absorb what I am learning, so I use this process. The third thing I do when I want to retain the information I am reading is take notes as I go. Once my notes are finished, I do not look them over for the rest of the day. The next few days, I take out my notes and review them until I can recall the key concepts without the notes.
Danielle- When I am learning something I really want to know how the material can pertain to me. Making a personal connection to the material is the first thing that I do. Another thing I do is to try to really focus on the material to understand it in and out. The more interesting the material, the easier this is form me. I also am very analytical, so I am a notetake, a highlighter, and a list maker. So when I get a new assignment, I orginize how it is to be done and what steps to take first.
Addie-I have several strategies that I use to open my mind for reading, mainly because not every strategy will work every time. The first thing I do is to try to find a quiet place where I am comfortable and, as much as possible, not restrained by time. Another strategy is to take a few minutes before I begin to read to jot down everything else I need to do so I won't be thinking about those things while I read. If I have a list, I can come to them later. A third strategy I use to clear my mind is to spend a few minutes perusing the book I will be reading or to sit and think about the topic. This gets my mind focused and ready to learn!
Kelsey: I use personal accounts to get me interested in learning, like oral histories. This allows me to have a common understanding of someone elses experiences. I also use a blank slate mind set to give the lesson I’m learning a fair chance. Without predeterminations, I am more willing to undersatnd and come to a common ground about why a situation happens this way or why someone chose to react a certain way. The third thing I do is think about how I would react and really try to be honest with myself about it. WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Amy – I always knew it was not easy to immigrate into America. I have read many historical fiction books about immigration and how horrible it was. However, I never really understood the fear that the immigrants faced until I read the text set. I knew the journey was hard and that many did not survive, but I never imagined that so many ended up being sent away. It saddens me to think about what the immigrants had to go through to even make it into America. The uncertainty they went through was huge. I never knew that Ellis Island was an obstacle in itself. The books in the text set showed that well, especially The Memory Coat and At Ellis Island. They allowed the reader to experience some of the immigrants’ fear and uncertainty, something a textbook could never do.Danielle- The text set really helped to put a personal spin on immigration. Reading Grandfather's Journey really make me wonder about if I had any ancestors that experienced anything similar to the story. The books and resources were much more intersting than reading it out of a textbook. I believe incorportaing resources such as these are important to understand the experiences and hardships hat the immigrants went through.
Addie-These resources all have a different take on immigration, which is so unique. I know that these resources helped me to think about immigration in ways I had never before considered. For example, I never knew that immigration was such a struggle (other than leaving families and homes behind). I never truly realized the feelings that these immigrants felt--the fear, rejection, despair. Those things aren't conveyed in a textbook.
Kelsey: I think these text sets really gave a great overview of immgration. The struggles that these people felt were incredible. Knowing that they were not going to be accepted in a new world and still wanting to move, gives me a sense of inspiration and hope that these people really want to succeed. I do not think I would feel the same if I had read this in a text book.
LEARNING LOG 8
Your learning group is superb. It is thinking, relating, questioning and making sense. Thank you.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Danielle- The author suggest to use reciprocal teaching to model comprehension. I really think that the students would really enjoy this strategy because they get to assume the role of the teacher. Also, with this strategy, you can adjust the task to the needs of the student. An instructional strategy that i thought was great was the discussion web. It usually has high participation and allows students to develop their own interpretations of the text. I think that using strategies suchas the discussion web is great for engaging students and aid in their comprehension skills. Reading guides are another great strategy. It provides the student support and involves high-order thinking which allows better comprehension.
Kelsey: The author suggests teachers use instructional strategies, modeling comprehension strategies and reading guides to improve comprehension in the classroom. Comprehension strategies include think alouds, making predictions, developing images, and sharing analogies. Teachers can use reciprocal teaching as well as QARs and QTAs. Instructional strategies suggested are KWL Charts, discussion webs, GRPs, Intra-Acts, and DR-TAs. Reading guides can be assessed on three levels, giving students the opportunity to think deeply about a subject and giving them a better understanding of the text, creating comprehension.
Addie: The author again suggests many ideas to improve the topic in the classroom. The three main ideas are to use instructional strategies, reading guides and to model comprehension strategies to give students a well developed/complete guide to reading comprehension. The instructional strategies are important because they engage students and help them clarify and extend information. Reading guides help students reach all levels of comprehension by asking different leveled questions (those that students might not naturally consider). Modeling comprehension strategies gives students an example to look to for techniques and strategies, which is always important!
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, towards the beginning of the semester we did an activity where you placed us in groups and we all had a different role to fill in the group discussion. Was that an example of Intra-Act, or something similar? Swanson: The activity was based on jigsawing and Intra-Act. The purpose was for people to look at a bit of text and do something different with it. The activity did not have a name. You can create it easily. Select a text. Select roles for four or five people.....vocabulary.....leader of discussion....clarifier......relater......etc. Then have them actively do their role in a form of discussion.
Amy – One of the main points is discussion based learning. Students need to learn to be critical thinkers and be given the opportunity to participate in discussions over a topic. The book gives several strategies that will help students with this, and I believe all the strategies will help students put information into their long term memories. Another point is get students engaged while they are reading. The text wants students actively involved when they are reading in some way with the text. Again the book gives several strategies to help with this. I think the most important part of this point is to have the students thinking as they are reading. Finally, the book suggests using reading guides to help with student comprehension. Teachers prepare these so that the students get the most out of a text. Again the book gives examples.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
Engagement in the reading process is the key for great comprehension. What are additional ways teachers can stress to activate engagement?
Danielle- Teachers can model the strategies to ensure the student understand the proceudres, they can also help build the students confidence and competence through instructional support. MAking the material relevant to the students will also help to engage the students. Activating proior knowledge will help in making the material relevant and always the teacher can be positive and encouraging and set goals for the student to ensure success.
Kelsey: Teachers can model the strategies that they think will work best for each student. The teacher giving this individual attention to each student can really activate engagement. The teacher can ask the students what they feel works best for them, as well.
Amy – One way that teachers can stress engagement is by relating the topic to the students. How did this information make you feel or why do you think this happened? Teachers can also chose materials that interest students. This would be like using a text set rather than a textbook. One of my favorite ways my teachers used to engage us is by having us act out or model something. We always were told to give our perspective of a topic, but we had to do so while not straying from the facts. Another thing my teachers used to do is have us illustrate the chapter as we were reading it. If the chapter was about the Holocaust an illustration might have the Star of David, concentration camps, Hitler, trains, and dark clouds. Then after we finished the chapter we would use our illustrations to summarize what we read.
2.Why do motivation and connectiveness help with engagement?
Danielle- If you can find ways to motivate the student and connect the material and make it personal, they are more likely to be interested and engaged in learning. I know, from personal experience, the moe intersting and relevant that i feel something is to me, the more i am into learning about it and engaged throughout the lesson.
Kelsey: By applying the topic to the student they are more likely to be interested in the topic. I know I am not particularly interested in topics that I know nothing about and couldn’t possibly relate to. Giving students the opportunity to have a connection is very powerful.
Addie-Motivation and connectiveness help with engagement because they give the student a base to grow on. Students that connect with the material will have confidence to engage more actively in discussions or take a more active role in learning. Students who are more motivated and interested in the topic are simply willing and excited to learn more.
They are naturally more engaged in the learning process.
3.Authentic question Observe a teacher in a content area classroom, observing the questioning strategies the teacher uses.
Addie-I observe a middle school math teacher for Pre-II, and he uses some excellent questioning strategies, if not a variety of strategies. His most common questioning technique is reciprocal questioning. Another I have seen him do is to say "You might ask this..." and give an answer.
Amy – The teacher I observed teaches her class by asking questions. What is this? How do you know? Is it still that if I do this? Why can it not be this? I personally like her method because it causes the students to think critically. They are basically teaching themselves, but they are unaware of that because they are so actively engaged in the topic.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Danielle- I really enjoyed teh book Prarie Primer A to Z. I thouught it was an intersting wayt to learn about life on the prarie and madi it simplistic enough for young children to comprehend. The illustrations were great as well. I prefer reading these types of books over a textbook anytime, they are much more enjoyable and intersting.
Kesley: I really liked the A to Z, I though it would be great for younger studnets to get great vocabulary from this text. I also liked the Indian Chefs and the I heard of a land, it I thought it can really in depth insight to the Westard Expansion.
Addie-These resources help with understanding in a very important way; they give many diverse perspectives to a situation. We often teach about the white pioneer's journey westward and maybe even the Native Americans, but how often do we talk about the children's view, or the African Americans who traveled west? These increase understanding of the topic because they explore all viewpoints!
Amy – I have read a lot about the westward expansion. I believe the author Janette Oak is a great historical fiction author who shows young students how hard life was for these people. Of course, you cannot use her books in a public school because they are Christian books. Regardless, because of Ms. Oak, I had previous knowledge of the difficulties of the westward expansion so I really did not learn a lot from this text set. However, I still think students who are not Janette Oak fans would really enjoy these books and media. My favorite books were Prairie Primer A to Z and Westward to Home. I believe these books were just the more interesting of those included. I believe these books especially, helped students relate to the topic. Students will be able to identify with several parts of each story, and from that I believe they will gain knowledge of the topic. To enrich students’ knowledge even further, I liked the simulation Westward Ho and the website on the Oregon Trail. Both I believe will engage the students while also giving them additional knowledge.
Amy - * Why do we hear so much about white people moving westward, but we only hear a little about the Indians that we affected. I mean we took the land that we promised them. I would think we would hear more about it. Is it because America is ashamed of this point in history, or were the Indians problems just not properly documented? I just don’t think it is fair to leave a lot of their history out when they are such a huge part of America’s history.
Swanson: You are so right...we didn't hear about the Native Americans, the blacks, the children, the mothers, the grandparents, the buffaloes, the scouts, the railroad people, the settlers already there, the soldiers who were there in forts. Why do we have such a narrow view of settlement when it takes all people to make up a settlement?
I think it is because people read textbooks and don't read multiple views from other sources. I hope that you will encourage that each act in history has multiple points of views from the multiple people who were involved in the act.
LEARNING LOG 9
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Danielle- The athor suggests to use a graphic organizer to help students see the relationships that vocabulary and concepts have in the reading. THey also are eaisly adaptable to students, so they can be used in a variety of ways to meet the needs of different students. I also liked the word exploration strategy. I thought this was a neat strategy because the students can "freewrite" without worrying about spelling or punctuation and it is a great way to activate background knowledge. OPIN is another thing the author mentions. I think is is great because students get to work together and discuss why they think their word is the proper word to use. By collaborating in this way students get a chance to see eachother prespectives and justify thier word choice is the best.
Addie-Three main points the authors suggest to improve vocabulary are graphic organizers, strategies showing students how to make their own connections using things like word explorations or brainstorming, and teaching concepts of words using things like CD maps. These are all great strategies, but what I really appreciate is that they are more hands-on and self constructing than simply looking words up in the dictionary and testing over them.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, the book seemed really down on vocabulary strategies as we were taught (the old "look it up yourself, write it down, test over it Friday). I understand this, but they were also very negative about directing students to the dictionary when they ask what a word means. While I don't think this is always appropriate, is it ever? I would point children to the dictionary thinking how wonderful it is that they are learning to research themselves, and since it was their question it would be more meaningful than me simply telling them. Swanson: In order of vocabulary development. 1. What does it mean in the sentence and then in the paragraph? The students should figure the word out by the usage of the word in the text? 2. What does the word parts mean? The students should analyze the base and the affixes and then figure out the word. This is like guess the covered word strategy where the student thinks about a word that is about that long with those affixes and see what word could make sense. 3. Then comes the dictionary. The dictionary word must be looked at first in context and then the student has to find the word that matches the context. Research says that just looking up the word will not help with knowing the meaning of the word and putting it into long term memory. When did you open a dictionary to read one of my chapters. You always took a guess of the meaning in context and meaning and then read on. Only when you were stuck did you stop and look up the word.
Yes, the dictionary is a very important resource and should be taught. It should also be taught that you need to look up words when you can't find the meaning from context. Yes, you should not give the meaning.
Amy – One main point is to help the students make connections with the vocabulary words. The book suggests doing this by activating the students’ prior knowledge and by using graphic organizers. If students are able to connect vocabulary to things that they already know, they have a better chance of remembering the new words/concepts. Another strategy is to help students learn to organize the new words. This goes along with helping them make connections to the words. Having students organize the words in some way helps them see how the words/concepts can be used. Strategies that help with this are word exploration, brainstorming, and list-group-label. Finally, the book suggests using in-depth ways to define the words. These strategies help students understand how their word was formed, where it originated from, how to use it in a sentence, and words that are like this word. By understanding all of this, students are more likely to remember the word and to start using the word in their everyday life.
Kelsey: To have a personal connection to the vocabulary presented, the authors suggest teachers use graphic organizers. The organizers improve visual memory, making deeper connections and an overall better comprehension. Organizers like brainstorming can help with prior knowledge. Think Clouds can help map out the information being learned. And free writing strategies help students remember what they feel is important from the chapter.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why should students know the word structure (Greek and Latin roots and history)?
Danielle- the words that are from teh third catergory, the words that can be analyzed are difficult for struggling readers and the more familiar they are with word structure the more it will be beneficial to them. Many of our words are derived from the latin and becoming familiar and being able to recogonize these words will help the student in comprehending the meaning of words and understand what they are reading.
Amy - Students should know about word structure because it helps with vocabulary development. To fully understand a word you need to understand where it came from. I have always found it interesting to find out where words have originated from. I believe knowing where the word came from shows you how the word is supposed to used. Students will greatly benefit from understanding the history of words because the words will make more sense to them, they will be more likely to remember them, and ELL will have an easier time comprehending the word. Also by understanding a word’s background, students will have an easier time comprehending the material they are reading.
*Amy – Dr. Swanson, do you know any activities that would make learning the history of words fun for children? Swanson: Word puns, activities, etc. can be fun when you know enough about words to just help them out/ Who would have known that boycott, bloomer, Kleenex, gerrymander are from people. Who would have known that peepers are the old word for eyes and murfles are freckles. When you come across a word and the history is there, you will just have to remember the history and be able to share that with your students. There is a book out there about the different formats of words from malaprop, anagrams, sniglets, and other fun word activities. IF you run across the book, it would be a good investment. Of course, the Internet has lots of ideas.
Kelsey: I think teaching root words are very important in today’s classroom. Giving students a background of the vocabulary words they are learning activates their prior knowledge and allows them to make better connections to the words, thus a better opportunity to store the information in their long term memory.
3. Why should the language of an academic discipline be taught within the context of concept development?
Addie-Academic language should be taught within a concept development context because this is a more global approach. Students don't need to get bogged down trying to understand the specific terms, contexts, and ideas a rocket scientist would know. Rather, students simply need to have an idea of what the words mean and how they apply to the big picture.
Kelsey: I think teaching vocabulary words in the context in which you use them gives students a better opportunity to comprehend the meaning of the words and put it into long term memory. 4. What activities for vocabulary concept development help student define words?
Danielle-SOme strategies that can be used to define words and help to clarify meaning are using typographic clues, sytactic and semantic clues, modified cloze passages, OPIN, understnading word structure, and using the dictionary to look up and clarify meanings.
Amy – Some activities that can help students with vocabulary development are: definition word maps, morphemic analysis, vocabulary maps, and picture dictionary. All of these strategies show different ways that students can define a word and help commit that word to their long term memory. What I like about these strategies is that they work for all different types of learners. Most of the strategies are very visual, and some are even interactive. Students should be able to find a strategy that works for them within this list.
5.Authentic Question:
Visit a middle level classroom and observe how the teacher develops general and technical vocabulary
Addie-I'm observing in a Math class, 6th grade, and the teacher uses a word wall with technical terms. He changes it out for every new unit, but the kids are always looking to it, and he is always quick to point them to the board as a reference. It seems to be very effective!
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Danielle- Incorporating books that students are able to make a personal connection to is very important. I feel like they take away so much more and truly learn by incorporating resources such as these. I really enjoyed Civil War on Sunday and The Journal of James Edmond Pease. I thought these were great books that hte children would enjoy and learn alot from.
Addie-These resources are so powerful because they make the information exciting and bring it down to the student's level. In engaging the students, these resources provide a whole new outlook on the Civil War. For example, Civil War on Sunday helps the readers understand what life would be like during the Civil War by viewing it in the eyes of present day children out of place.
Amy – I love reading the text sets. I find them so interesting, and I believe they are so much better than a textbook. I think children will become excited about the War Between the States with this text set. My favorite books were Lincoln and Pink and Say. I just thought that they both gave an in depth look at something people believe they are knowledgeable about, like Lincoln or slavery. Both books showed a side of the war that people were not aware about. I think with books like these, the war because more interesting and personal.
Kelsey: I thought the imformation present was very interesting. I loved the book on the point of view of the slave. I thought it gave such a powerful message to todays students, who may know nothing of struggle faced by these people. I thought the book on children watching the Civil War in present day terms was interesting, I never thought about battles in that way. LEARNING LOG 10 Swanson: Thank you for sharing your great thoughts. I loved reading your comments. I just need TWO people to finish the last section.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Addie-Three points the author suggests to improve writing across the curriculum are using academic journals, writing to learn (this includes microthemes, POVGs, unsent letters, etc) and finally, writing in disciplines.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, I love the idea of using learning logs in classes other than language arts. Have you seen this done successfully before?
Danielle- The author suggests ways to improve writing across the curriculum. The one that interested me the most was the academic journals, especially the historical character journals. Allowing the students to become th character will allow them to make personal connections and learn more from the material. The unsent letter strategy is also neat, it allow the students to summarize the material and give their opnion. Using microthemes is great, it doesnt require a great deal of writing but requires a great deal of thinking.
Amy – One main point about this chapter was writing to learn. In writing to learn, students are able to explore new ideas and concepts. They are also able to relate to the text and activate their prior knowledge. It is basically an easy and not stressful way for students to explore a topic on their own. Another important point about this chapter is the importance of academic journals. These journals allow students to record their feelings about a passage while also working on an idea. My personal favorite journal is the historical journal, because it also incorporates role playing and allows the students to become even more involved in the text. Another important point about this chapter is the importance of guiding the writing process. Students have a hard time just jumping into writing, but if someone guides students through the writing process they are more likely to succeed.
Kelsey: The authors suggest that teachers use journals, writing to learn, and writing in disciplines to help in the classroom. I love the writing to learn, I plan on using it in my classroom. I know that I learn much better when I am able to sit down and write about what I am learning at that moment. It helps me commit it to long term memory.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why should 6 Traits +1 serve as a foundation for writing? Look up 6 Traits plus one (
Addie-Six Traits plus one is a great way for students to think about and prepare for writing. If they go through the six traits and ensure that those are all strongly presented in their writing, they will have a good foundation. These are the six things that make for a great work!
Danielle-The 6 traits allows the student and the teacher to open communication over wrting and establishes a clear vision of what writing looks like for the students. It allows them to gain a good understanding of the writing process and helps to establish a good foundation and good writing habits.
Amy – This should be used, because it is further exposure for the students to learn how to write effectively. It shows them how they will be graded, and how to get their work to that level. I would implement this into my classroom by showing students what I expect of their writing. I would show them ways they can improve, and then have them evaluate the work under examples so that they could learn what good writing is.
Kelsey: The 6 Traits + 1 gives students more information about writing, which in turn will help students know what good writing is. Students will be able to understand how to formulate excellent work and excellent writing habits. 3. Why write for reader response?
Addie-Writing for reader response gets the writer in the mode of making sure everything is understandable from a less experienced reader's perspective. This ensures that the author knows what they are talking about and that they have put authentic thought into the writing.
Danielle- Having students write in reader response journals allows them to interact and connect with the text. they are able to write about their feelings and thoughts about the text and allows them to gain more understanding of the material.
Amy – Writers should always try to write for reader response. They should do this because it allows the reader to become more involved in the text. The more involved in the text the reader is, the more likely they are to find the information interesting. Also when you write for reader response, you evaluate your work on a much higher level. You ask yourself if the reader will be able to understand this concept with little or no background knowledge. Then you change your work accordingly. Kelsey: Reader response lets the student and teacher know what the student have learned and understood from the text.
4. Authentic question: Interview an intermediate or above classroom teacher about the writing, types of writing, writing process, etc. that s/he uses in the classroom. Also check on the assessment procedure. Text Set
Amy – I have always found WWII both fascinating and horrible. I think the text set managed to show both of these while still making the subject appropriate for young children. My favorite book was Baseball Saved Us because the content in this book is often ignored in history. I knew that we did this to the Japanese, but it is not something I readily associate with WWII. I believe that it should be associated. We cannot learn from our mistakes if most people are not even aware of them. I think this text set, more than any of the others, helps with topic understanding of a time in history. The other text sets were wonderful, but this one allows students to see America’s mistakes. The children will feel for the Japanese, and I believe this feeling is something that each child needs to have in order to not let history repeat itself. Overall amazing text set.
*Amy – Have you ever read One Candle by Eve Bunting? It is a children's story about WWII. I read it recently, and as I was reading it, I thought of how good of a book it would be to be included in a WWII text set. It is an amazing book that shows what some Jewish woman had to go through in a concentration camp, but the story is still appropriate for young children. It is amazing, because the book lets them experience the despair the Jews felt without terrifying the children with facts that they cannot handle. So if you get a chance read this book. I think you will like it, and I believe it would be a great addition to your text set. Thank you for sharing this book....I know of Bunting and she always writes great books but I have not heard of this book.
Missing are Kelsey and Danielle.
Addie-I found these resources particularly beneficial. I have always love Poloco books, and "The Butterfly" is no exception! The online webquests and videos look engaging and exciting for students, but my favorite thing about this text set is that it focuses on not just white male soldiers, but also on celebrating the different groups that took part in the war, like the code talkers.
Danielle- I really enjoyed the online activities. There are a great way to get students involved and engaged in learning about WWII. I think the online activities gives them hands on experience and allows them to make better connections.
LEARNING LOG 11
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully. Thank you for being so complete, as a teaching scholar, and thinking.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Addie-The author suggests using study guides and graphic organizers to improve text study. He also suggests understanding the internal and external text structure, something I had never heard described as such before. Finally, the author suggests using reading guides that help students concentrate on one thing at a time while reading.
Kelsey: The authors suggest that to improve studying texts in your classroom, you should incorporate the importance of text structures, study strategies, and study guides. When students know the importance of the text structure, they can easily distinguish what is important to the text and what is not as important. With study strategies include graphic organizers, writing summaries, making notes, and taking notes. Study guides help students perceive patterns in the text.
Amy – One point the author suggests to improve the topic is graphic organizers. Graphic organizers teach students how to relate the concepts in the text, what is important in the text, and other avenues they can use to find additional information. Another point is teaching students how to write summaries. This shows students what the main points of the text are, and it helps with comprehension because the students have to write about what they learned. Finally, the authors suggest taking notes. I personally use this strategy when I want to comprehend something. It allows me to reflect and it helps me remember what I read better because I am a visual learner.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
Danielle-The author suggests to incorporate the use of graphc organizers to help the students understand the important information from the text. Also she suggests to have the students write summaries as this will allow them to be able to distinguish the important information from the less important information. lastly, she suggests to take notes. Taking notes will aid in remebering the material and there are ways that note taking can be adapted to fit any learning style.
2. How is internal text structure different from external text structure? Why should students know both?
Danielle-Internal text is the text writtent to inform and external text is graphs, tales of contents, indexes, etc. It is important for the student to know both text structures because because their is important information in both types of text that are essential to comprehending and understanding the material.
Addie-Internal text structure is different from external text structure in that external structure is simply how the text is arranged, or formatted. This is important for students to know because it helps this grasp the big picture of a text, learn from the graphics, or understand more about what they will be learning (to create more questions). Internal structure, on the other hand, is what they author is writing about--the information. This is important to know because, quite honestly, it is what they will be tested on and expected to know in everyday life.
Kelsey: The external texts are like the highlights of the chapter, the titles illustrations and the main points. The internal texts are the meat of the chapter the tell, show, and explain of the chapter. When students know both internal and external text structures they are able to easily comprehend the information of the text.
Amy – Internal text is written to inform. It has a text pattern and readers search for the structure in the text. Readers should be able to tell which information is important for them and which is not. External text tends to contain organizational aides that help the reader through the text. The readers are guided through the external text more than the internal text. Students should know how to use both because they are presented with both. They need to understand that by using the two together the reader can achieve maximum comprehension.
3. Graphic organizers help students comprehend and retain textually important information. How can you apply graphic organizers into the before, during, and after part of a lesson?
Danielle-You could incorporate a KWL chart for a before activty to activate the students background knowledge. You could have the students take notes during to help them establish the importance of the text. And for a after activity, you could have th students complete a problem and solution outline to depict the end reult of the text.
Addie-
I would use a K-W-L chart for the before part, a think-cloud organizer for the during, and a semantic map for the after part.
Kelsey: Graphic Organizers help before the lesson by give a brief outlook or overview of the text. Graphic Organizers help during the lesson by sorting out the information the student is reading at that point in time. And Graphic Organizers help after the lesson by giving a review of the information just read by the student.
4. Authentic question:
Interview a teacher and find our how s/he applies research/based graphic organizers to enrich writing and reading.Amy – The teacher I interviewed likes to use graphic organizers to reflect text patterns. Her favorite organizer to use is the problem-and-solution outline. She uses this organizer a lot because it helps her IEP and ELL students comprehend the text the most. When she uses this strategy, her students can recall the important aspects of the text days later.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Danielle-I liked the interactve mayflower website. i thought it made the whole experience extremly relateable and exciting. I think kids would really enjoy this website and learn alot about the mayflower by interacting wth it.
Addie-I was really excited about the book, On the Mayflower, because it presented pertinent information in a manner that students will enjoy and learn from, but it also presented technical words that will increase students' learning (like bosun).
Kelsey: I really liked the interactive website about the Mayflower. I thought it was really cool. Being able to be part of the journey really helped me learn the information painlessly.
Amy – I really enjoy these text sets. This text set in particular lets the students become actively involved in the text. I believe students learn so much more this way. They can relate what they are learning to an experience rather than just another textbook.
*Amy – Why do you not have a lot of books in this text set? Is it hard to find authentic books over the Mayflower? I WAS RUNNING OUT OF ROOM ON THE BLACKBOARD SITE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE RESOURCES WHICH ARE POSTED THERE. I HAVE TO CHOOSE SOME OF MY FAVORITES.
LEARNING LOG 12
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully. I am missing Danielle in this wiki. KELSEY, I NEED THE LAST SET.
(REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Amy – One point the authors suggest is implementing trade books into a teacher’s curriculum. This will allow the students to go more in-depth on topics that the textbook does not cover fully. Another point the authors suggest is creating text sets over topics. The students can access these books in their spare time, and they can select books that are appropriate for their reading level. Finally the authors suggest using trade books to prompt reader response. Students can write about what they have read to further increase their understanding of a topic.
Addie-Three points the author suggests to improve the text in the class are utilizing trade books as a supplement to textbooks, not necessarily on their own, using graphic novels and other exciting literacies to reach unmotivated students, and creating classroom libraries. I was in a class this morning were the teacher had a phenomenal class library, and the students were all thoroughly enjoying reading time! What a wonderful addition to the class! However, I think these are all important for student growth.
*Amy – How often did you use the textbook when you were teaching in the public school system? Swanson: It depended on the topic and the class. Of course, I was bound by the math text. But in the literature section, I had freedom to do what I wanted and I usually teamed the literature either with the science or the social science (I taught 4, 5, or 6 grades). I rarely used the science textbook. I used the s.s. textbook as the foundation but quickly went to other sources to put faces on the people and make history come alive.
Kelsey: the authors suggest that teachers use graphic novels, interesting illiteracies and creating your own library for you classroom. I think that having new and interesting books or information in your classroom can help any student connect to the topic and have the motivation to learn.
Danielle- The author suggests incorporating trade books, which enable students to go deeper into the material and connect on a personal level. The author also suggested to create a classroom library with text sets that give students an opportunity to read them during self selected reading. Also, the author suggests to incorporate reader response strategies to allow the students to respond to the text and construct meaning. CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. If teachers knew the problems with textbooks, why do they still use them? What can you do to eliminate the problems?
Amy – They use them because of testing. Textbooks cover the content that the students will be tested on, and teachers are being pressured to make sure students are learning this particular content. Teachers are also dealing with time constraints, and they have to make a lot of information fit into a short span of time. Textbooks are a readymade material that fills this need. Teachers can eliminate this problem with textbooks by planning ahead. They can find much more interesting texts that are more appropriate for their students and substitute the new text for the textbook. It will require more work on the teacher’s part, but if the students are learning more than it should be worth it. Teachers can also provide material that goes more in-depth on topics that the teacher feels the textbook lacked information on.
Addie-I think the primary reason teachers use textbooks is that the principals and schools require them to. Most teachers are afraid to do something different and so they just use the books, not even thinking about supplementing them with trade books. To eliminate the problem, I think if teachers understood that they could supplement textbooks with trade books and still satisfy school requirements, they would be more willing to use them.
Kelsey: I think teachers still use text books because they are under such pressure to teach towards the test. Textbooks guide teachers through a chapter with minimal involvement. I think if a teacher uses other illiteracies as well as the textbook in her classroom she can cover the information on the test as well as teach the students.
Danielle- I believe that teachers use textbooks partly because they are scared to be different and they are required to by administration. If teachers understood the power trade books have to engage students and that they really help them connect them to the material,and if teachers knew how available they are, I think more would incorporate them.
3. How would a trade book and electronic sources text set on an historical event enhance the curriculum?
Amy – It would allow the students to become more actively involved in the topic. The students will be able to relate and interact more in-depth with a text set then they could with just a textbook. They may also be able to see different viewpoints and understand how each side felt.Addie-Oh this would be such a great addition to the curriculum because it would engage students! Think of adding a trade book like the Magic Tree House, where students see history from someone like themselves' perspective. Adding electronic sources provides more opportunities for student success and is much more exciting for most students. These would definitely benefit the student! Kelsey: The other mediums of literacy gives students a variety of ways to learn. They already feel comfortable with electronic sources and this is another way for them to cover the material in a more in depth and interesting way.
Danielle- Adding trade books would enhance their learning dramatically. It would allow the students to connect on a deeper level and become more engaged and create a more exciting learning environment.
4. Make a list of ten trade books which should be included in the study of the American Revolution. Give a rationale for each book and give in a sentence or two how you would use the books.
Authentic Question:
Take a poll of five teachers and find out how they integrate trade books into their content area classroom.Text SetAmy – This text was, as always, very interesting. I especially enjoyed the story The Pilgrims and Me. I think this is a wonderful resource for young students. They are hearing about a subject from the point-of-view of someone their own age. She speaks the same way that they do, and she reacts to things the same way that they do. I think this book will help students a lot with topic understanding because they can relate so much to it.Addie-I think this is a phenomenal text set! My favorite was "Dakota Duggout" because it relates both the hardships and the joys of prairie life--something that not all prairie books do.
Danielle- This was a really neat text set. I really enjoyed The Pilgrims and Me because it was really relate-able for the students and have wonderful illustrations.
T
hank you for the complete log. I appreciate it.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
Why are content area reading strategies (CARS) important for all students at all levels?Amy - I believe CARS is important for students because it gives them greater comprehension of the subject matter. It also helps them absorb the content, and it will hopefully help them remember the material later. CARS should be used at all grade levels because all students need to understand what they are reading.
Why are content area reading strategies (CARS) important for all students at all levels?Kelsey: I think that CARS are important for all students because as we grow, we are still learning. CARS are helpful for all of us, they help give students and teachers a deeper insight and understanding of how the content of the reading is used. CARS gives a more personal meaning to the subject and help students find reading more enjoyable. Addie-The most important thing about CARS, to me, is that the text/information students are given is both relevant to the students and is engaging. When students are involved in what they study, they learn more and retain that knowledge longer. Amy - * Are there CARS that meet all the learning styles, or at least most of the learning styles?Swanson: CARS are generally meant to met the learning styles of most students in the classroom because they are interactive, visual, and social. Only when the teacher makes them only verbal/visual is when the problem occurs. For example, the opening strategies just open the lesson and gets the brain started and the vocabulary helps the students know the words so when they read, they have the necessary foundation for comprehension. Then the metacognition helps the brain STAY awake while reading so the information goes into long term memory. Lastly the Closing is summarizing as well as discussing the information. These four steps makes the whole package for learning for all grade levels.
Kelsey: CARS depend greatly on student interaction, what are good ways to engage a shy student or a student who does not want to interact?
*Addie:
I k now that this will vary from student to student because of learning styles and personality, but is there one CARS method that is particularly beneficial for all students?
Swanson: There is no one best strategy for all students. You will have to introduce a set of them (opening, metacognition, vocabulary, and closing) and then as the students master them, then you will introduce another one in that type of set. Eventually throughout the year, the students will have a "backpack" of strategies of which s/he can "choose" the strategy that best fits him/her. Usually a teacher will say to a student, because you are visual, I think the picture dictionary would be the best strategy for you.
Danielle: I think that CARS helps meet the different learning styles that students have and are able to help them connect to the material being presented because it is more interactive. When there is a connection made it help the learner to retain what they have just learned and makes it more enjoyable for them as well.
*Danielle* Are these CARS strategies good for all learning types?
Swanson: I don't think there is one strategy that matches all learning styles. If you would divide the strategies into learning types, that would be great. You will need to find more in the auditory area because I didn't focus on them. For example, for the visual....picture dictionary, sketch to stretch, cartoons would be effective strategies. Thus, if you want to as you print off each strategy you can write in the corner that this one would be great for Visual, for example.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?Amy - Books and electronic resources help with topic understanding because they allow students to see different viewpoints. It helps the students to relate better to the subject because it can be more personable. They also help because students might find them more interesting then the textbook and therefore, may absorb the content better. I know I personally enjoyed reading about the captain trapped in the jungle. The story just made the war more real and vivid for me. It showed how dangerous the war was for soldiers by the captain's description of how he survived. The Vietnam War was just a war to me that I did not know a lot about. Now after reading the text set I can remember aspects of it. I also feel compassion now because I feel like I related to the soldiers and their families.
Kelsey: I think the text set, both the books and electronic resources not only gave me different view points, but also more information, so I could come up with a better understanding of the Vietnam War. I was able to read, enjoyably, different scenarios of the War. I thought this text set made the tragic war very understandable relatable for young students.
Addie: These texts were particularly beneficial to me because they made the Vietnam War more than an event on a time-line. Reading "The Wall" gave me a poignant view of what life is like for those whose family members served in the war and the sacrifices that were made. "Shot Down Behind Enemy Lines" caused me to realize what the soldiers faced in battle and how important their sacrifice for our country really is.
Danielle: I think that all the resources that were used in this text set helped to make the event more real for the students. It was definetly more engaging and helped connect a personal side to what could be just a boring event in history that you read out of a text book. It was certainly more enjoyab
LEARNING LOG 2
T
hank you for the complete log. I appreciate it.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
Amy – One way that you can improve the topic is by incorporating students’ prior knowledge. This helps the students not only become more interested in the topic, but it also makes them feel secure in the topic because they already know something about it or are familiar with one part of it. Another way you can improve the topic is by actively engaging students. Students do not do well with assigning and telling. It is boring for them. Actively engaging students allows them to do more hands on work and become part of the teaching of the concept. A third way to improve the topic is by integrating content literacy practices and strategies into your classroom. This teaches students how to read to learn and how to better comprehend and remember the content. It also better sets the students up for later in life.
Addie-There are several ways to improve the topic in the classroom. First, it is important to make sure you are teaching using a discipline--reading, writing, talking, listening, viewing, etc. Second, make sure students can construct meaning from what they are reading, and that it will be meaningful to them. Finally, help students activate prior knowledge before you begin. These suggestions will help improve any topic in the classroom.
Danielle- Activating background knowledge is essential in helping students make connections in what you are learning. Also by getting them involved in having hands on activites and actviely engaging them in the material. Making sure that the students are comprehending what they are reading is also important.
Amy - *Testing is huge right now. If content learning strategies are so effective, why do you think so many teachers do the assign and tell method? Is it because they do not know any other way to teach or is it simply laziness? I would really like to hear your opinion on this, Professor Swanson because it is a question that really bothers me.
Swanson: I don't know exactly why they teach and tell. It can be a multiple of reasons. 1) they don't have the time to develop and use strategies because they are working on test practice or discipline. 2) they never been shown strategies use and how to do it in the classroom. 3) they are teaching the way that they were taught. 4) the administration doesn't value alternative ways of teaching and want to teach to the whole class. Like I said, research says the above as reasons for not incorporating learning strategies in the classroom. I hope that you will help others use them.
*Addie-What is a good way to handle all of the pressure teachers face to assign and tell and raise test grades, but be respectful of authorities while not bending on the content issue?
Swanson: You will do what the authorities and mentor teachers tell you to do but you will also at every moment incorporate the best of the research-based strategies into your classroom. When you get tenure or more confidence in your skills, you can be more flexible (if the principal lets you). I know that when you collaborate with your fellow teachers, you can throw in a strategy that is just great for the grade level. The first year, you will be just surviving to learn the school, the students, and the curriculum. As you learn the school, students, and the curriculum basics, you will be able to incorporate better ideas into your lesson plans. Just remember the before, during, and after aspects of a lesson.
Danielle* What is the best way to activate background knowledge?
Swanson: I personally like hands-on ideas. There are virtual field trips or videos of concepts. Then there are real people and experiences and pictures. The one my students liked the best was simulations...playing like the real thing.
Kelsey: Reading requires a person to have a true love and passion for the information they are learning. The authors suggest three points to help reading in the classroom. The first suggestions are to teach you students to be disciplined readers, this stems from the teacher. A student can learn best by you setting a great example. The second suggestion is to personalize the reading material for the students, this will help them want to read and want to learn about the subject. The third suggestion is to activate the knowledge your students already know. This is important because students make grow to have more passion for what they are reading about.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why is reading to learn a strategic, meaning-making process?
Amy – It is a strategic, meaning making process because language and meaning go hand-in-hand. Language is not language unless it is meaning making. So in order for the language, that the reader is reading, to make sense it has to mean something. That is why it is important for students to use reading to construct knowledge. Since students do not come by this naturally, so teachers need to introduce strategies to the students to help them learn how to read to learn. The goal we want to reach is that students will use reading “to construct, clarify, and extend meaning” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
Kelsey: I think that reading is a strategic meaning-making process because it is such a personal experience. I do not enjoy reading about subjects that I am not interested in, therefore I usually read what I find interesting. I think that the spark of passion behind reading is what makes it so meaningful. The strategy is also important; each person has their own reading style, learning you personal style can help you be a more productive learner. Swanson: Reading is strategic because students have to actively select strategies (either graphic or in the brain) ways to remember the process. Reading cannot be done without engagement and motivation which hopefully is intrinsic.
3. Demonstrate the importance of prior learning (schema) has in making reading as a meaning-making process.
Addie- I would argue that schema is one of the very most important components of the meaning-making process in reading, paired only with willingness from the learner. According to Piaget, all knowledge is either assimilated or accommodated based on our pre-existing schemata. I know that I am going to be much more interested in learning about things I like or subjects I already have some knowledge in, because I'm comfortable with these (and interested). Sometimes, students simply do not want to learn, and while this can often be overcome when they are working with subjects that interest them, that they have prior knowledge in, they must also be willing to activate that prior knowledge. So it is not just having prior knowledge, it is activating and building onto that knowledge that causes meaning to occur.
Danielle- I believe that schema is extremly important in aiding students in making connections to the material being presented to them. By making them think of things that they already know they are able to make connections to what is being made therefore it can be stored into long term memory. By having backgroung knowledge and making the material have a personal connection they are more likely to be enagaged in learning. Building on the knowledge they already have is essential for learning.
4. Evaluate your skills to the chart on page 21. How good of a reader are you?
Amy – I would say that I am an okay reader. I always thought of myself as a good reader because I read for pleasure so much. However, after looking at the chart on page 21, I see my faults as a reader. I do not do a lot of the things that the chart says makes a good reader. I never think about the authors, I just jump right into the content and only think about the authors if forced to. I am also a lazy reader. I do not try to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words or concepts in a text unless I think they are important. Overall, I was disappointed in myself. I read more than anyone I know but according to this chart I could be a better reader. I now understand why I can remember vividly the content in the books I read for pleasure but not the content in the books I am required to read.
Addie- I would say I am a good reader, but I definitely have a few things I could improve on. For example, I always have goals in mind and am strategic and always reconstructing meaning or questioning because of what I read, but I do not always pre-read or create summaries of what I read, particularly when reading for school.
Kelsey: I think that I am a mediocre reader. I have the persistent and productivity, I am also thoughtful and evaluate. I lack the strategic and purposeful parts. I usually read for pleasure. Danielle: I always thought of myself as a good reader but I dont use any of the strategies that good readers use. I did enjoy reading when I was younger and somehow over the years i have lost the joy in reading. I would like to improve and incoporate many of the strategies that good readers use and love reading agian. I would love to be a good example for my future students. Swanson: Readers can always improve this craft and art. Readers should actively know (metacognitvely) when they are comprehending and how they can share the information with others. Readers are in constant learning mode. Teachers need to share this information with their students that they are also learning to be better readers and writers. Reading is never stagnant but alive.
5. Authentic question: Interview a content area teacher on effective teaching strategies that he or she uses to engage students in learning.
LEARNING LOG 3
Swanson: Thank you for sharing your experiences, your learning, and your thoughts about the new literacies. These literacies are not new now.....Everyday, there is a newer literacies and these listed in this book are now OLD. Oh, that means we always have to be on top of this field.
I really enjoyed all of your participating and adding so much to the WIKI. THanks you.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
I know Danielle: The author suggests to use more visual art activites to help the students with their comprehension skills, which helps in all areas of learning. Have the students participate in blogs and wikis to help build knowledge collaboratively in a common environement. Also, have the teacher be an example for the students by participating in the blogs, wikis, and such to not only show the students what to do but to also monitor what is going on and being said. I think that incorporating new literacies in the classroom is an essential part of the curriculum these days and i thought the author had a lot of really good ways and ideas of doing so.
Amy - One way to improve the topic is to use Webquests. I had to make a Webquest for my Technology in Education class, and I thought it was really beneficial and fun for the students. If you do not want to create your own Webquest, you can use one someone else has already made. It is a really fun way, and a simple way, to teach a concept. Another way to improve the topic is to use Wikis in your classroom. Wikis allow students to discuss a topic online, and it gives everyone an opportunity to participate. Still another way to improve the topic is to teach students how to recognize valid information. This shows students how to recognize propaganda and to find more authentic websites to get their research.
Amy - *In the voices from the classroom excerpt, William mentioned using Twitter in his classroom. My question is how exactly would that be beneficial to students or how can you use it to benefit students?
Swanson: I personally hate Twitter and I would love to find out how teachers could use it in the classroom. I can see some possibilities but someone has to show me the benefits. I worry about bullyism, sly comments, weak performances by "struggling" readers.
Addie-To improve the topic in the classroom, the authors suggest using internet communication sites, such as blogs, wikis, and nings that allow students to learn collaboratively. They also suggest using using internet workshops, webquests and internet inquiries that allow students to learn individually and at their own pace. Most importantly, to improve the topic in the classroom, teachers need to create a multimodal learning environment that meets the needs and learning styles of every student, and addresses the skills of today's technologically advanced students.
Kelsey: The author discusses many ways of improving the overall comprehension of the class. One way is through visual representation. By using visual representations, students are not only visually stimulated and interested in the topic, but can also implement it to longer term memory by using the image of the topic. I, personally, find visual representations helpful. The second way to improve your classroom is web-based discussions. The students are able to interact with each other on a very comfortable level, since they are already able to use blogs and chatting, these web-based discussions can be very beneficial for students. The third way to improve the topic in the classroom is modeling the use of the technology yourself. I think the teacher that is able to get on the same level as the students with the same technology will be able to reach her students more easily.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why is learning with new literacies essential for implementation into the curriculum?Danielle: New literacies there is a variety of resources hat can be used that can meet the various learning styles and present different forms of representation. They also enable the students to become more engaged in learning and be involved in a mix of individual and collabrative activities which, i believe, creates a better learning environment for the students and enables them to become more engaged in learning.
Amy – “Helping students to learn with new literacies is part of making sure that they are prepared for life in the 21st century” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). We live in a world where technology is involved in everything. We need to teach students how to use new literacies effectively now so that it will benefit them later in life. Also “practically all of the national education associations in the various academic disciplines have developed content standards or statements of principle that implicitly or explicitly acknowledge the proficient use of technologies for information and communication” (Mraz, Vacca, and Vacca). I personally believe this is so we can show students how to find the best websites, and to teach students exactly what they are seeing. It is important for students to understand what they are seeing so they will not be persuaded by propaganda or false information. I believe it is essential to learn with new literacies so students can become more educated on new technology and prepared for the future. The book also believes it is important because it teaches “students to think and learn in a multimodal environment” and it “helps students learn content” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). :) :) :)
Addie- Learning with new literacies is vital for today's curriculum because today's students are so unique. Most students today spend free time and even "family time" using media. These students are accustomed to the fast pace and creative environments offered by video games, television, etc--not to a calm, mentally visual reading environment. Our textbook teaching strategies can not compete with what students today do outside of school. We have to meet them where they are--almost like a child with special needs--we have to adapt our teaching strategies and curriculum to how these students will learn best. In the long run, this is an awesome opportunity because we, as educators and as individuals, will learn and grow as well!
Kelsey: I think that learning with these new literacies is very important for two reasons. The first is that it can give students a level of comfort since they already know how to use many of these technologies. These students can better look at the curriculum rather than worry about the way they will be forced to learn. The second reason is that our world is moving faster towards these technologies and students need to be prepared to use these technologies in everyday life.
3. What are the similarities between the new literacies and the traditional print? What are the differences? What is the same? Use a Venn diagram.
4. Why are the new literacies not integrated into the most classrooms?Danielle: Educators are scared that the students will lose "book knowledge" and will lose the ability to read, write, and speak anymore. In my opinion, our society is so media based and even though it is not reading out of a book or writing on paper these skills can still be learned. We should not completly lose learning from books but we should also embrace all the technological resources we have at our fingertips.
Amy – I believe that these new literacies are not being implemented in the classroom because most teachers do not know how to use them effectively. I also believe some teachers are not aware of some of the new literacies or how they can benefit their class. I do think that that new literacies are important to have in the classroom. Teachers need to take the time to learn about the new literacies and to implement them into their classroom. It will only benefit the students in the long run.
Addie- There are many reasons why new literacies are not being introduced into today's classrooms. Like Amy, I believe that teachers do not know/feel they know how to adequately use the new resources. Some educators feel that they are too old to learn new ways, and that if the old ways worked for previous students, they should work for today's students. I think we even take some offense at the idea that how we were taught is no longer good enough, and so teach only how we were taught. Another reason that new literacies are not used is simply that it takes time and energy to research and know how to use the new literacies, and many people just do not want to make that investment.
Kelsey: I think that these new litereacies are not integrated in classroom because the teacher does not know how to use them, that they exist, or is too stubborn to learn the new material. Learning to adapt to the new literacies is very important. There are also reasons, such as school funding.
5. Authentic question:
Interview a middle-school or high school student about the use of electronic texts. What types of skills and strategies do students need to possess in order to use electronic resources effectively.
*Addie-The textbook talks about nonlinear reading, and how great this is that students can now read in an order comfortable to them. This being the case, are students losing out on important skills and reading elements, such as chronological order, timelines, etc?
Swanson: There is always a place for linear products. The Internet is based on the "spider leg" concept and a student can go off and branch off and continue to branch off. I found that many intermediate students didn't know this branching and instead of backing up, they just turned off the computer and said, "I'm lost." The reason for this is no one showed them the set up of the virtual text and in their pasts, they had only linear text.
LEARNING LOG 4
I am very appreciative about the quality and completeness of the responses for the wikis. I thank you for doing your best.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
- (REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Addie-This chapter was is full of good ideas to improve the topic in the classroom and to make the topics more relevant to the students. The first thing we can do is to introduce and emphasize multicultural books across the curriculum and in our class library. These help students identify with a literary character and find a place in the class, not to mention helping other students respect differences. Another thing to improve the topic is teach for cultural understanding, preferably using the transformative and social action approaches. A final important method to improve topic is to adapt instruction of content to provide comprehensible input, develop vocabulary and engage students.*Addie-I understand the basics of the Sheltered Instruction approach, but how does this really look in practice? Is it very effective?
Swanson: I have used and taught SIOP and it works!!!! It is fabulous lesson plan for all students because it gives a procedure to think and do to make sure that all students can be taught.
Kelsey: The three major ways I can improve the topic are incorporate other cultures in my classroom, creating an environment where all cultures are welcome, and adapt my curriculum to meet the needs of all my students. Incorporating multicultural information in my classroom can be as easy adding books on the other cultures or as challenging as creating a unit lesson plan on the culture. Having an environment where are cultures are welcome can be fulfilled by having students from other cultures show and tell about their lives or bring someone from home to discuss the culture. Adapting my curriculum to fit their needs is just part of teaching; I plan to adapt my lessons to fit the needs of all of my students, not just the multicultural ones.
Danielle: One thing the author suggests is to have a library of multicultural books in the classroom. This not only gives students something to read but it helps them to recognize the uniqueness of different cultures. Also, to have a culturally responsive classroom which helps to have an enviroment that embraces and celebrates the different cultures. Integrating a curriculum that is diverse and reaches all the cultures in the classroom is another important thing to incorporate in the classroom.
Amy – One of the ways the authors suggest to improve the topic in the classroom is to use multicultural literature. The authors say that these texts are not only engaging but that they provide access to unique contributions of each culture and the similarities of the human experience across cultures. They also help nonmainstream cultures appreciate and value their heritage, and they give all students the benefits of understanding ways of knowing about the world that is different from their own (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). Another way is by having a culturally responsive instruction. This is instruction that is responsive to cultural differences in the classroom and makes connections to students’ background, origins, and interests. This results in learning becoming more relevant because teachers are drawing on students’ prior knowledge and experiences (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). Yet another way is by using the SIOP model to help ELL. This model helps design lessons that integrate content learning with additional language support for English learners. It also helps teachers become more aware of highly effective practices and behaviors that will help students. Finally, it provides an observational framework for rating teachers in sheltered classrooms (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
Amy - *Professor Swanson, are there any websites that particularly help ELL have an easier transition into the classroom?
Swanson: There are multiple websites for ELL students. I particularly like the reading sites which read the books, have the students able to click on a word and the definition comes up, then there are activities to do after the activity. There are webquests that help with a topic because the learning is interactive. There are movies and other interactive sites which help students do, hear, as well. There is Dragon Speech which reads texts to the student. There is Dragon Write which will write what is said. The information and the possibilities are endless.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. What is culturally responsive instruction look like to in the content area classrooms.
Addie-Culturally responsive instruction in the content area classrooms is adaptive. It allows for comprehensible input, vocab development, differentiation between intensive and extensive reading, utilizes repeated reading, and actively engages readers.
Kelsey: I think culturally responsive instruction looks like all of the students accepting the other students, working together to come to an understanding of why a culture believes this or works this way. I think this can be achieved in all classrooms, if the teacher is willing to invest time in the classroom for this kind of understanding.
Danielle- Culturally responsive instruction is teaching the students to embrace one another's cultures and by giving them an opportunity to learn about eachother's culture. Teaching by example is important and teaching them to work together and accept one another.
Amy – The teacher in the classroom has high expectations of the students, and she supports the students so that they can reach them. The teacher also has positive relationships with the families and the community. The curriculum has been shaped so that it meets the standard-based curriculum, as well as incorporating students’ cultural backgrounds. The teacher uses active teaching methods that involve students throughout the lesson. The teacher also works as a facilitator and the students control portions of the lessons. Finally, assignments are normally completed in groups to create low anxiety (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
3. Support sheltered instruction for English-language learners to make content more accessible to them while providing additive language support
Addie-This seems like a common sense thing to me, because this is how I have been taught to teach EL students, but sheltered instruction, as I understand it, is scaffolding. We teach students in content areas beginning with what they know and moving from there (in both subject and language). This helps them feel comfortable and adapt easier.
Kelsey: I think the support and individual attention given to ELL students or multicultural students can give them excellent support and create a life-long learner. Students that need that special attention, even with a language barrier, are sometimes forgotten with the stresses of testing and learning the curriculum. I feel that I would be more than willing to help these students.
Danielle: Getting students engaged in learning is essential. By using sheltered instruction with ELL students, you are able to learn the students and adapt things to fit that student to strengthen comprehension. Being able to encourage them is key and sometimes special attention makes all the difference in the world.
Amy – I would use the SIOP model to help ELL. This model “serves as a blueprint for designing lessons that integrate content learning with additional language support for English learners” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca). This model also “enhances instructional delivery by making teachers aware of highly effective practices and behaviors that will make a difference in the academic and language development of students” (Mraz, Vacca, Vacca).
4. Authentic question:
Interview a teacher about the strategies he or she uses to met the needs of students with cultural or linguistic differences within the classroom.
LEARNING LOG 5
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.Kelsey: The author discusses several different ways to improve assessment in your classroom. The teacher’s role in authentic assessment, I found interesting and the one I will most likely use in my classroom. The teacher is the major tool, you are to observe the students, provide feedback and give key information. The portfolio style of assessing is another way of testing without high stakes, this gives students a safe environment to create a project of what they have learner. The third way to improve assessment in your classroom is to constantly give feedback. Students need to be able to keep track of their won progress as well.
Amy – One idea that the authors suggest to improve assessing students is to use the CARI. This is a form of informal testing that is given by the teacher over several days. The students are not forced to bubble in answers to questions; instead, they may take a test that is prepared by their teacher. It should help students who cannot sit still for long periods of time, as well as students that do not take tests well since the students are evaluated in a variety of ways. An idea to assess texts in the classroom is to use a readability checklist. This checklist helps teachers find texts that teach students important and interesting concepts that the students can use and will want to apply to their lives. Finally, another way to improve assessment of students is to use portfolios. Portfolios have many positive aspects like letting students reflect on their capabilities, showing the diverse and special needs of a student, showing multiple student produced artifacts, and integrating assessment into the daily instruction.
Amy - *What do you believe is the best way to assess students?
Swanson: I love the idea of students to create their own A+ rubric or contract and have them work toward getting the A+. Then there are no surprises or questions. The students know upfront what is expected and they work toward it.
Danielle- The author points out several ways to improve assessment. I really liked the checklist and interviews because the information is preselected and it gives you the ability to zero in on certain kinds of behavior and the interviews allows you to collaboratively interact with your students. I also liked the portfolio assessment because it is an organized way to assess students work and also allows them to assess theirselves and helps to determine futrher instruction. Also something that the author suggested was CARI's which is helpful in determining many things about the students comprehension. Aftering observing a CARI on my internship,I think this is a great tool to use in the classroom. It tells you a lot about the student and lets you know if you need to adjust your instruction to meet the students needs.
Addie-This chapter deals with improving the assessment and topic in the classroom. One of the assessments used to improve the topic is a textbook reliability checklist used to make sure the textbooks are relevant in the class. Using this will improve the topic. Another suggestion to improve the topic is to use a rubric so students know exactly what is expected of them. This doesn't necessarily improve the topic itself, but rather how the topic is received and understood. One other suggestion to improve the topic is to use a portfolio. Portfolios allow students to work with the topic in a new way--to manipulate the topic until they understand that topic.
*Addie-I'm curious about Lexile Levels. I seem to remember a big emphasis on these when I was in school, but this is the first time I have heard of them since being in college. How important are Lexile Levels, and are they commonly used (I know the book says they are--but really?)?
Swanson: Lexiles are one of many ways to assess the reading levels of books. Lexiles are not very well known in the parent community so more often than not, reading level is the preferred mode of readability levels. For librarians, they might use the Lexile guide. The concern is that with one book, there can be multiple levels of readability. For example, one book that is recommended for fifth graders has a range of readability from 4.5 (the words) to 9.0 (the content about death of a dog). How can we select books when the authors and the people who score books cannot agree on readability levels?
2. How does a formal, high stakes approach differ from an informal authentic approach? What are the plusses, minuses and interesting facts of each kind of testing?
3. What is your opinion of assessment? What can you do to make sure that you are assessing
what you want to assess? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ASSESS?
Kelsey: I think assessment has its time and place, I think it is necessary for the classroom. I think the teacher need to view each assessment in a case by case manner. Assessment can be used to show areas that not only the students need improvement on, but the teacher. The teacher will be able to strengthen the lesson plan to fit the personal needs of each of the students. I think observation is one of the best tools for ensuring you are assessing exactly what you intend to be assessing. I plan to assess the overall progress of all of my students, careful documentation will be needed.
Amy – I believe assessment is important in the classroom. However, I do not think that standardized tests are the best way to assess students. I used to get panicky and stressed every time the standardized tests rolled around. I believe I never once tested at my best ability because I was always so stressed that I was going to score badly. I believe standardized tests do not test students at their best ability because the students are stressed, bored, rushed, exhausted, or not good test takers. I personally believe in observation, interviews, portfolios, and simple quick tests prepared by the teacher. I do not think one method should be the sole evaluation of students. To make sure that I am assessing what I want to assess, I plan on using a combination of observations, portfolios, interviews, and short tests prepared by me. I believe this combination will assess exactly what I want to assess which is if the student is learning the concepts, if the student comprehends the concepts, and if the student needs additional help in an area. I believe my combination will also show me any areas that I might need to improve on.
Danielle- I think that assesment is a good tool to use in the classroom. It helps you know where your students are and helps you determine your instruction. I think different things call for different types of assessment and i plan on incorparating many different types of assessment in my classroom. Assessmet helps you know if your students needs are being met and helps to keep the teacher on track. I am partial to the informal assessments to track the progress of my students. I probably will use portfolios in my class so the students will be able to see theri progress as well.
Addie-I think assessment is VITAL in the classroom. If we do not make sure our students are understanding what we teach, and what they are responsible for knowing, we fail as teachers. However, I also believe that assessment comes in many diverse forms, and each has its place. Because of this, I will use anything from simply monitoring the students, to graphic organizers, to verbal and written tests for my assessments. The way to make sure we test what we need to is simply to assess students on our lesson objectives, but to make sure that those lesson objectives are met in what we have taught. We can only assess students on what we have taught them!
4. Authentic Question:
Interview a classroom teacher on how the current educational policy decisions and/or high-stakes testing requirements have impacted his or her teaching practices.
I read in these lines the frustration that teachers are having about high states testing and the stress will be more if the state decides to follow merit pay for teachers.
Thank you for taking this book topic and seeing what the real teachers in the real world think about this topic.
(I interviewed a middle school teacher.) She says the policies on high-stakes testing have made teaching more difficult. Her classroom feels more like a workstation than a place to learn or create. She believes in allowing students to learn on their own, with guidance from her, but only when necessary. Have students find what interests them will lead them to other topics; she is usually able to guide them back to the topic area by giving a theme. The students are not able to create their own projects, but are forced to memorize facts and speed read.
Amy – I interviewed a second grade teacher and she has been teaching for twenty-three years. She absolutely hates high stakes testing, because she says that the tests do not focus on everything her students have learned. They also are not appropriate for each student, because some students will never be good test takers. She also says that because of the new policy decisions that she has been forced to cut a lot of the more untraditional teaching strategies that she used to use. She simply does not have enough time in the day to branch out and do creative and fun things for the students when she has to spend so much time in reading and math. She ended by saying that teaching is not as much fun as it used to be.
Danielle- the teacher i interned with was a fourth grade teacher and she hates high stakes testing. her curriculum was interrupted constantly when test time rolled around becasue she just had to focus on the material on the test. science was completly cut out and her time on social studies was cut in half. I think that if the teachers are teaching the curriculum they should not have to alter their schedule to cram in testing material.
Addie-In interviewing two teachers about high stakes testing, they both seem so frustrated. The teachers (5th and 4th grades) both said that there is so much emphasis on high stakes testing that they don't have time to truly teach; they have to just teach to the test. One of these teachers was in a poverty ridden school and she was frustrated that the tests didn't consider the fact that 70% of her fourth graders couldn't even read.
LEARNING LOG 6
I LIKE THE WAY YOU YOUNG LADIES RESPOND, THINK, AND THEN ASK QUESTIONS OF YOURSELF AND OF ME. THANK YOU FOR THINKING, BEING PREPARED, AND BEING ENGAGED.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
Amy - * Professor Swanson, do you have a favorite children’s book author that specializes in history books like the ones in the text set?
I like Jean Fritz and Polacco particularly. There are many individual authors I like particulary the ones that tell a great story through the pictures. I think that you can tell some of my favorites by the selection I have put in the text sets.
Amy – One point to improve the topic is by using a B-D-A instructional framework. This plan for lessons involves incorporating activities before reading, after reading, and during reading. It also stresses that each area does not need to have the same emphasis on it. The authors warn that this process can take one day or several depending on the concept taught. This strategy is meant to help readers construct meaning by giving them varying degrees of guidance throughout the process. Another point is having an inquiry/research emphasis in units of study. This allows students to approach a concept hands-on and to construct meaning for themselves. The students become more active participants in this type of study. Finally, the authors suggest using collaborative interactions with students. This allows the students to become engaged learners. The students tend to participate more, and it develops students’ self-esteem while enhancing academic achievement.
Addie-This chapter is FULL of wonderful ways to improve the topic. One of my favorites was personal interdependence, which is a process for engaging students in collaborative work. I love this one because collaborative work is so important, but some teachers seem to lose control if they don't have a good plan. This strategy seems to be truly effective in making sure students grasp the content! Another suggestion was to have clearly defined lesson plans. This is truly important because if we do not have a plan for what we are teaching and the content is hastily thrown together, students are cheated of opportunities to learn the content. Another strategy I really liked is the multiple text emphasis. I think this improves topic because it provides students with choices, which will help them to be more interested.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, have you ever used the multiple text emphasis, and if so, was it effective?
I used the text set stress when I was teaching in the fifth and sixth grades. I especially chose the books the students were reading in the reading lab by the topic in social studies or science. For example when we were studying WWII, the students in small groups read When Hilter Stole Pink Rabbit (WWII in Switzerland), Ann Frank, The Yellow Star (Norway), North to Freedom (Norway), The Steppe (Russia), etc. The selection of books looked at the WWII from children's points of view from the European countries who were involved in the war. I especially liked it when we were studying Australia and we were reading Mem Fox, Graham Greene, Robert Lawson and more. All of them were children stories and short stories about the region. We also had music and art activities from the art and music teachers who supported the academics in the classroom.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
Kelsey: The authors suggest the three best ways to teach content literacy is to plan lessons, plan units of study, and plan collaborative interactions. When planning lessons the authors say it is important to incorporate the content with lesson plan formatting and with before, during and after frameworks. While planning units of study, you need well-designed content objectives and interactive activities and text resources. For collaborative interactions, teachers need incorporate cooperative learning small-group processes and classroom discussions.
Danielle- THe author suggests using B-D-A instruction which i feel will greatly benefit comprehension. By doing before, during, andafter reading activites will help the students get more involved in the material. I also liked the the collaborative learning. By incorporating class discussions and group work, I feel students will become more enganged. Another thing the author suggests is to incoproate inquiry based lessons, where the learning is centered around the students.
2. What is involved in designing a text lesson based on a B-D-A instructional framework?
3. How can teachers modify lesson plans to be more student centered inquiry based to connect literacy learning?
Kelsey: Teachers and students can collaboratively assign a topic. The teacher must make questions and problems as important as finding the answers, the teacher must provide opportunities for students to find sources that are helpful and provide enough research. The students must be able to present their report to the class.
Danielle- Teachers can provide resources for the students and give them a few guidelines to follow and have them present their findings to the class in a creative ways such as in a play or a skit. This way students are responsinble for the learning and the teacher is acting more like a facilitor.
4. How can content area teachers plan and design instruction for all students to actively engage and motivate participation for literacy-related activities?Addie-The best way to actively engage all students in literacy related activities is to make them student centered. For example, teachers can give students choices, such as in the multiple text emphasis, or they can utilize group work, which helps students build from each other. When using group work, teachers can utilize positive interdependence to increase motivation.
5. Research states Bloom's Taxonomy or another questioning taxonomy benefits comprehension greatly. Why do you think this is so?
Kelsey: Yes, I think that Bloom’s Taxonomy and others are very helpful to student’s comprehension. I think they are helpful for both teachers and students. Teachers are able to check the comprehension and the progress of the student. Students are able to exercise their own understanding of the material, they are able to creatively show what they had gotten from the text.
Amy – Bloom’s Taxonomy challenges the reader. It does not just ask questions like what was so-and-so’s name. It also asks questions like justify your reasoning for your answer. The questions depend on where the reader is and how well they can handle the harder questions. I like Bloom’s because it forces students to think critically. I think when students think critically, the information is more likely to stick with them over time because they had to put so much more thought in their answer. It is not also an answer that you cannot find easily online nor can you copy it from your neighbor because it is based on opinion and reasoning. I think this helps with comprehension because students are using their past knowledge to shape their answer (even if they do not realize it). Plus thinking critically always challenges a student more which should help with comprehension.
Danielle- I think that greatly helps with comprehension. It allows the reader to dig down deep and to really think about about the material that was presented to them. When they have to dig down deep students are challenged and that's when i felll connections are made. And it is essential to make connections for students to learn.
Addie- A questioning taxonomy is so effective in developing comprehension because it meets the needs and levels of every learner. Some students won't be developmentally ready to reach a higher level of understanding, but using a taxonomy like Bloom's, we can know what kind of thinking they are ready for and teach them at that level, while helping them work towards the next level. Taxonomies also are important because they teach us about what the next level is. This way we aren't frustrating our kids by asking questions that are too hard, but are questioning them with "just right" questions that build self-confidence!
6.. Authentic questionVisit a classroom and note the details about the discourse which is taking place in a discussion format.
Amy – The classroom I visited this week was a second-grade classroom. (I was visiting it for another class). While I was there, the class had a whole class discussion over spheres, pyramids, cones, cubes, and prisms. The teacher did not start out the discussion by just telling the students what she wanted them to learn. She instead showed them examples of the “shapes” (they were in foam form) and had the students figure out themselves what they needed to learn. In a way, the students taught themselves this lesson, because the whole lesson was taught by discussion between the students. The students were used to this, and they really expected each others’ opinions. If a child was wrong with their answer, they did not jump all over him. They instead explained why he was wrong and how they got the correct answer.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Kesley: The text set and the electronic sources gave me several different ways of reading about the Revolutionary war. I liked the George vs George book. I liked the differnet point of views expressed in the Can't You Make Them Behave, George.
Amy – This text set has really made me understand the Revolutionary War better. I knew about events like the Boston Tea Party, but I have never related personally to it or other like events. By having the events relayed to me in story form, I became more interested in the war. I feel like I better understand why the war was fought and at what price it was fought. My favorite story was The Scarlet Stockings, because it showed that even young girls fought to be free from England. I think this story showed just how important this war was to the people. It also showed that war came at cost to the people, but that they believed it was worth that cost.
Danielle- I really liked Can't You Make Them Behave George. It was really cute and put a personal spin on it so I could understand it better. By presenting material to students in this way will probably get them more engaged in learning and will help them to remember it more.
Addie-The resources in this set are so effective in helping students understand the topic because they make the topic relateable. I think that many students, and even adults, feel as if history is neither understandable nor relateable today. These resources prove otherwise. Books like George vs. George help students see that historical figures were people just like themselves--they had families and a country that they greatly loved. This is the key to helping students understand history--help them understand that history still is relevant and that the people and events do relate to their lives.
LEARNING LOG 7
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
Amy – One of the main points is to have the students make predictions. This makes the students recall their prior knowledge on the subject and guess what they believe will occur in the text. Students are more involved through this process, and they are more likely to be interested in the content because they want to see if their prediction was right. The authors also suggest arousing curiosity in the students. This can be done by story impressions, establishing problematic perspectives, or guided imagery. Guided imagery is my personal favorite. I had a teacher who did this with our class, and I absolutely loved it because afterwards I wanted to jump into the text. Finally the authors suggest using questioning. I also really like this idea because I think it gets students actively involved in the topic. Students should like being able to share their opinions and discussing the questions with others.
Danielle- One of the things that caught my attention was that when a student can make the text relevant to their own lives and they can create credible responses their motivation for reading and learning increases. So as teachers we need to personalize the material and make it relevant to the studnets so they are able to make connections and truly learn. It is also important to arouse curosity in the student. By making the studente curious, they are able to raise questions that they can gain answers through reading. A few of the ways that the author gives to arouse curosity making predictions and by creating problems that need to be solved through the text. The author also suggests to use the IEPC strategy for strugging readers. It helps them to create visual images while they read anf helps them to comprehend the text.
Addie-There are so many good strategies for improving the topic in this chapter! Two of the overlying concepts were self-efficacy and motivation. If we can get students to see their value and to see that what they do matters, they will be encouraged to do their best! If we can motivate students, they will be reading and anxious to learn all they can in the class. Another method the author suggests to improve the topic is to establish problematic perspectives. This allows students to see both sides of a situation, and not merely learn a part of the topic. These are all very crucial and very effective strategies for improving the topic in the classroom.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, what is your favorite strategy for ihncreasing motivation?
Swanson: I like interests. I think that if the child wants to learn more about something then we should provide opportunities to use that topic to teach the skills we need to teach. I also like contracts based on learning styles.
Kelsey: The authors suggest that teachers should use sel-efficacy, motivation, and curiousity to activate prior knowledge and interest in your students. Self-efficacy is the “I can” belief in students, giving students lessons and texts sets that are on their level will give them this feeling. Breaking down the lesson to a common understanding can give students a sense of empowerment. Motivation is another way to interest students. Self-efficacy and motivatation are interrelated topics. Giving students a level of control over the topics and material will ensure high movitation. Creating curiosity in the classroom allows students to make connections and relate knowledge to the topic. I would give students the opportunity to explore their ideas, which will help with curitosity.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. How can this and other text sets activate knowledge and interest?
Amy – This text set was extremely interesting. It gave readers a unique view on what immigration was like. Students may relate to this text set because they may have family members who immigrated over here or friends that were immigrants. Even if students do not know an immigrant, they should still be interested in this text set. You will never find a description of the conditions immigrants were expected to sleep in inside of a textbook. However, by reading At Ellis Island, students are able to visualize what it was like to be forced to spend the night at Ellis Island. Students are just more likely to relate to the text set then a textbook, because the text set involved the students and evoked emotions from them.
Amy -*Professor Swanson, during WWII when Jews were fleeing to America to save their lives, did they have a better chance at being admitted at Ellis Island? Did they still have to pass the same tests that everyone else did? Do you even know? I know the story The Memory Coat was about Jews, but I was uncertain if this applied to when Hitler was in power. I am not sure if you would even know this, but it was a question that popped into my head after reading the text set.
Swanson: I like your question because you are thinking text to the world. I don't know but I asked my husband and he said there was a boatload of Jews who was not accepted by Ellis Island and the boat had to go back to Europe. He also added that after the war, the immigration policy was not slackened. Today we let in refugees from "bad" countries easier than from other countries. I would like to know more about this topic myself.
Kelsey: The Ellis Island text set gave me a better understanding of the struggles of immragtion. The fear and the excitement of traveling and starting a new life were expressed so well. I thinkt hat allowing studetns to see personmal accounts of immragation will allow them to see what it was actually like during this time. I think students will also think about how they would react in these situations. Giving students background knowledge will get students interested in knowing more about a subject that they can now relate to.
3. Why do prereading strategies and activities help with prior knowledge and raise interest in the subject?
Danielle- Prereading strategies help to get the student thinking about what they alreading know and by doing certain strategies that raise their curosity and interest in a subject they will be more intruiged to learn. In the prereading stages if you can make them see how it can relate to them in real life then they have a better chance of comprehending the material. I think that prereading is a very important part of the reading process.
Addie-I think prereading strategies are so important because they 1.) activate learners' background knowledge 2.) get students in the mindset to learn and 3.) peak interest. During a prereading activity, students will likely remember something they had "forgotten" about the topic, will become interested in something they learn about in the prereading activity, or will simply get prepared to focus on something new.
4. Schema theory and visualizations are critical for opening a reader's mind for learning.
5. What are three ways you personally use to help open you mind for learning?
Amy – The first thing I try to do, if possible, is chose materials that interest me most. For example, for one of my classes, I had to read two biographies. I personally am not interested in biographies, but I have always been interested in WWII so I chose to read a biography over Anne Frank (not the Diary of Anne Frank because I have already read that). I enjoyed my biography assignment because I enjoyed the concept of the book I chose. So if possible, I try to choose items that interest me. The second thing I do is break down the assignment. I do not like to spend long periods of time focused on one thing. So when I get an assignment, I start by breaking it down into parts. I start by doing the first part, then I stop with that assignment and go do something else (normally I go to work). Then after a break, I do the next part of the assignment, and then after that part I do something else (like go to bed or do another assignment). I continue this process until my assignment is finished. It is a weird process, but it works for me because I cannot focus on one thing for too long without getting bored. When I get bored, I tend to not absorb what I am learning, so I use this process. The third thing I do when I want to retain the information I am reading is take notes as I go. Once my notes are finished, I do not look them over for the rest of the day. The next few days, I take out my notes and review them until I can recall the key concepts without the notes.
Danielle- When I am learning something I really want to know how the material can pertain to me. Making a personal connection to the material is the first thing that I do. Another thing I do is to try to really focus on the material to understand it in and out. The more interesting the material, the easier this is form me. I also am very analytical, so I am a notetake, a highlighter, and a list maker. So when I get a new assignment, I orginize how it is to be done and what steps to take first.
Addie-I have several strategies that I use to open my mind for reading, mainly because not every strategy will work every time. The first thing I do is to try to find a quiet place where I am comfortable and, as much as possible, not restrained by time. Another strategy is to take a few minutes before I begin to read to jot down everything else I need to do so I won't be thinking about those things while I read. If I have a list, I can come to them later. A third strategy I use to clear my mind is to spend a few minutes perusing the book I will be reading or to sit and think about the topic. This gets my mind focused and ready to learn!
Kelsey: I use personal accounts to get me interested in learning, like oral histories. This allows me to have a common understanding of someone elses experiences. I also use a blank slate mind set to give the lesson I’m learning a fair chance. Without predeterminations, I am more willing to undersatnd and come to a common ground about why a situation happens this way or why someone chose to react a certain way. The third thing I do is think about how I would react and really try to be honest with myself about it.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Amy – I always knew it was not easy to immigrate into America. I have read many historical fiction books about immigration and how horrible it was. However, I never really understood the fear that the immigrants faced until I read the text set. I knew the journey was hard and that many did not survive, but I never imagined that so many ended up being sent away. It saddens me to think about what the immigrants had to go through to even make it into America. The uncertainty they went through was huge. I never knew that Ellis Island was an obstacle in itself. The books in the text set showed that well, especially The Memory Coat and At Ellis Island. They allowed the reader to experience some of the immigrants’ fear and uncertainty, something a textbook could never do.Danielle- The text set really helped to put a personal spin on immigration. Reading Grandfather's Journey really make me wonder about if I had any ancestors that experienced anything similar to the story. The books and resources were much more intersting than reading it out of a textbook. I believe incorportaing resources such as these are important to understand the experiences and hardships hat the immigrants went through.
Addie-These resources all have a different take on immigration, which is so unique. I know that these resources helped me to think about immigration in ways I had never before considered. For example, I never knew that immigration was such a struggle (other than leaving families and homes behind). I never truly realized the feelings that these immigrants felt--the fear, rejection, despair. Those things aren't conveyed in a textbook.
Kelsey: I think these text sets really gave a great overview of immgration. The struggles that these people felt were incredible. Knowing that they were not going to be accepted in a new world and still wanting to move, gives me a sense of inspiration and hope that these people really want to succeed. I do not think I would feel the same if I had read this in a text book.
LEARNING LOG 8
Your learning group is superb. It is thinking, relating, questioning and making sense. Thank you.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
- (REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Danielle- The author suggest to use reciprocal teaching to model comprehension. I really think that the students would really enjoy this strategy because they get to assume the role of the teacher. Also, with this strategy, you can adjust the task to the needs of the student. An instructional strategy that i thought was great was the discussion web. It usually has high participation and allows students to develop their own interpretations of the text. I think that using strategies suchas the discussion web is great for engaging students and aid in their comprehension skills. Reading guides are another great strategy. It provides the student support and involves high-order thinking which allows better comprehension.Kelsey: The author suggests teachers use instructional strategies, modeling comprehension strategies and reading guides to improve comprehension in the classroom. Comprehension strategies include think alouds, making predictions, developing images, and sharing analogies. Teachers can use reciprocal teaching as well as QARs and QTAs. Instructional strategies suggested are KWL Charts, discussion webs, GRPs, Intra-Acts, and DR-TAs. Reading guides can be assessed on three levels, giving students the opportunity to think deeply about a subject and giving them a better understanding of the text, creating comprehension.
Addie: The author again suggests many ideas to improve the topic in the classroom. The three main ideas are to use instructional strategies, reading guides and to model comprehension strategies to give students a well developed/complete guide to reading comprehension. The instructional strategies are important because they engage students and help them clarify and extend information. Reading guides help students reach all levels of comprehension by asking different leveled questions (those that students might not naturally consider). Modeling comprehension strategies gives students an example to look to for techniques and strategies, which is always important!
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, towards the beginning of the semester we did an activity where you placed us in groups and we all had a different role to fill in the group discussion. Was that an example of Intra-Act, or something similar? Swanson: The activity was based on jigsawing and Intra-Act. The purpose was for people to look at a bit of text and do something different with it. The activity did not have a name. You can create it easily. Select a text. Select roles for four or five people.....vocabulary.....leader of discussion....clarifier......relater......etc. Then have them actively do their role in a form of discussion.
Amy – One of the main points is discussion based learning. Students need to learn to be critical thinkers and be given the opportunity to participate in discussions over a topic. The book gives several strategies that will help students with this, and I believe all the strategies will help students put information into their long term memories. Another point is get students engaged while they are reading. The text wants students actively involved when they are reading in some way with the text. Again the book gives several strategies to help with this. I think the most important part of this point is to have the students thinking as they are reading. Finally, the book suggests using reading guides to help with student comprehension. Teachers prepare these so that the students get the most out of a text. Again the book gives examples.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
- Engagement in the reading process is the key for great comprehension. What are additional ways teachers can stress to activate engagement?
Danielle- Teachers can model the strategies to ensure the student understand the proceudres, they can also help build the students confidence and competence through instructional support. MAking the material relevant to the students will also help to engage the students. Activating proior knowledge will help in making the material relevant and always the teacher can be positive and encouraging and set goals for the student to ensure success.Kelsey: Teachers can model the strategies that they think will work best for each student. The teacher giving this individual attention to each student can really activate engagement. The teacher can ask the students what they feel works best for them, as well.
Amy – One way that teachers can stress engagement is by relating the topic to the students. How did this information make you feel or why do you think this happened? Teachers can also chose materials that interest students. This would be like using a text set rather than a textbook. One of my favorite ways my teachers used to engage us is by having us act out or model something. We always were told to give our perspective of a topic, but we had to do so while not straying from the facts. Another thing my teachers used to do is have us illustrate the chapter as we were reading it. If the chapter was about the Holocaust an illustration might have the Star of David, concentration camps, Hitler, trains, and dark clouds. Then after we finished the chapter we would use our illustrations to summarize what we read.
2.Why do motivation and connectiveness help with engagement?
Danielle- If you can find ways to motivate the student and connect the material and make it personal, they are more likely to be interested and engaged in learning. I know, from personal experience, the moe intersting and relevant that i feel something is to me, the more i am into learning about it and engaged throughout the lesson.
Kelsey: By applying the topic to the student they are more likely to be interested in the topic. I know I am not particularly interested in topics that I know nothing about and couldn’t possibly relate to. Giving students the opportunity to have a connection is very powerful.
Addie-Motivation and connectiveness help with engagement because they give the student a base to grow on. Students that connect with the material will have confidence to engage more actively in discussions or take a more active role in learning. Students who are more motivated and interested in the topic are simply willing and excited to learn more.
They are naturally more engaged in the learning process.
3.Authentic question
Observe a teacher in a content area classroom, observing the questioning strategies the teacher uses.
Addie-I observe a middle school math teacher for Pre-II, and he uses some excellent questioning strategies, if not a variety of strategies. His most common questioning technique is reciprocal questioning. Another I have seen him do is to say "You might ask this..." and give an answer.
Amy – The teacher I observed teaches her class by asking questions. What is this? How do you know? Is it still that if I do this? Why can it not be this? I personally like her method because it causes the students to think critically. They are basically teaching themselves, but they are unaware of that because they are so actively engaged in the topic.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Danielle- I really enjoyed teh book Prarie Primer A to Z. I thouught it was an intersting wayt to learn about life on the prarie and madi it simplistic enough for young children to comprehend. The illustrations were great as well. I prefer reading these types of books over a textbook anytime, they are much more enjoyable and intersting.
Kesley: I really liked the A to Z, I though it would be great for younger studnets to get great vocabulary from this text. I also liked the Indian Chefs and the I heard of a land, it I thought it can really in depth insight to the Westard Expansion.
Addie-These resources help with understanding in a very important way; they give many diverse perspectives to a situation. We often teach about the white pioneer's journey westward and maybe even the Native Americans, but how often do we talk about the children's view, or the African Americans who traveled west? These increase understanding of the topic because they explore all viewpoints!
Amy – I have read a lot about the westward expansion. I believe the author Janette Oak is a great historical fiction author who shows young students how hard life was for these people. Of course, you cannot use her books in a public school because they are Christian books. Regardless, because of Ms. Oak, I had previous knowledge of the difficulties of the westward expansion so I really did not learn a lot from this text set. However, I still think students who are not Janette Oak fans would really enjoy these books and media. My favorite books were Prairie Primer A to Z and Westward to Home. I believe these books were just the more interesting of those included. I believe these books especially, helped students relate to the topic. Students will be able to identify with several parts of each story, and from that I believe they will gain knowledge of the topic. To enrich students’ knowledge even further, I liked the simulation Westward Ho and the website on the Oregon Trail. Both I believe will engage the students while also giving them additional knowledge.
Amy - * Why do we hear so much about white people moving westward, but we only hear a little about the Indians that we affected. I mean we took the land that we promised them. I would think we would hear more about it. Is it because America is ashamed of this point in history, or were the Indians problems just not properly documented? I just don’t think it is fair to leave a lot of their history out when they are such a huge part of America’s history.
Swanson: You are so right...we didn't hear about the Native Americans, the blacks, the children, the mothers, the grandparents, the buffaloes, the scouts, the railroad people, the settlers already there, the soldiers who were there in forts. Why do we have such a narrow view of settlement when it takes all people to make up a settlement?
I think it is because people read textbooks and don't read multiple views from other sources. I hope that you will encourage that each act in history has multiple points of views from the multiple people who were involved in the act.
LEARNING LOG 9
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
- (REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Danielle- The athor suggests to use a graphic organizer to help students see the relationships that vocabulary and concepts have in the reading. THey also are eaisly adaptable to students, so they can be used in a variety of ways to meet the needs of different students. I also liked the word exploration strategy. I thought this was a neat strategy because the students can "freewrite" without worrying about spelling or punctuation and it is a great way to activate background knowledge. OPIN is another thing the author mentions. I think is is great because students get to work together and discuss why they think their word is the proper word to use. By collaborating in this way students get a chance to see eachother prespectives and justify thier word choice is the best.Addie-Three main points the authors suggest to improve vocabulary are graphic organizers, strategies showing students how to make their own connections using things like word explorations or brainstorming, and teaching concepts of words using things like CD maps. These are all great strategies, but what I really appreciate is that they are more hands-on and self constructing than simply looking words up in the dictionary and testing over them.
*Addie-Dr. Swanson, the book seemed really down on vocabulary strategies as we were taught (the old "look it up yourself, write it down, test over it Friday). I understand this, but they were also very negative about directing students to the dictionary when they ask what a word means. While I don't think this is always appropriate, is it ever? I would point children to the dictionary thinking how wonderful it is that they are learning to research themselves, and since it was their question it would be more meaningful than me simply telling them.
Swanson: In order of vocabulary development.
1. What does it mean in the sentence and then in the paragraph? The students should figure the word out by the usage of the word in the text?
2. What does the word parts mean? The students should analyze the base and the affixes and then figure out the word. This is like guess the covered word strategy where the student thinks about a word that is about that long with those affixes and see what word could make sense.
3. Then comes the dictionary. The dictionary word must be looked at first in context and then the student has to find the word that matches the context.
Research says that just looking up the word will not help with knowing the meaning of the word and putting it into long term memory. When did you open a dictionary to read one of my chapters. You always took a guess of the meaning in context and meaning and then read on. Only when you were stuck did you stop and look up the word.
Yes, the dictionary is a very important resource and should be taught. It should also be taught that you need to look up words when you can't find the meaning from context. Yes, you should not give the meaning.
Amy – One main point is to help the students make connections with the vocabulary words. The book suggests doing this by activating the students’ prior knowledge and by using graphic organizers. If students are able to connect vocabulary to things that they already know, they have a better chance of remembering the new words/concepts. Another strategy is to help students learn to organize the new words. This goes along with helping them make connections to the words. Having students organize the words in some way helps them see how the words/concepts can be used. Strategies that help with this are word exploration, brainstorming, and list-group-label. Finally, the book suggests using in-depth ways to define the words. These strategies help students understand how their word was formed, where it originated from, how to use it in a sentence, and words that are like this word. By understanding all of this, students are more likely to remember the word and to start using the word in their everyday life.
Kelsey: To have a personal connection to the vocabulary presented, the authors suggest teachers use graphic organizers. The organizers improve visual memory, making deeper connections and an overall better comprehension. Organizers like brainstorming can help with prior knowledge. Think Clouds can help map out the information being learned. And free writing strategies help students remember what they feel is important from the chapter.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why should students know the word structure (Greek and Latin roots and history)?
Danielle- the words that are from teh third catergory, the words that can be analyzed are difficult for struggling readers and the more familiar they are with word structure the more it will be beneficial to them. Many of our words are derived from the latin and becoming familiar and being able to recogonize these words will help the student in comprehending the meaning of words and understand what they are reading.
Amy - Students should know about word structure because it helps with vocabulary development. To fully understand a word you need to understand where it came from. I have always found it interesting to find out where words have originated from. I believe knowing where the word came from shows you how the word is supposed to used. Students will greatly benefit from understanding the history of words because the words will make more sense to them, they will be more likely to remember them, and ELL will have an easier time comprehending the word. Also by understanding a word’s background, students will have an easier time comprehending the material they are reading.
*Amy – Dr. Swanson, do you know any activities that would make learning the history of words fun for children?
Swanson: Word puns, activities, etc. can be fun when you know enough about words to just help them out/ Who would have known that boycott, bloomer, Kleenex, gerrymander are from people. Who would have known that peepers are the old word for eyes and murfles are freckles. When you come across a word and the history is there, you will just have to remember the history and be able to share that with your students. There is a book out there about the different formats of words from malaprop, anagrams, sniglets, and other fun word activities. IF you run across the book, it would be a good investment. Of course, the Internet has lots of ideas.
Kelsey: I think teaching root words are very important in today’s classroom. Giving students a background of the vocabulary words they are learning activates their prior knowledge and allows them to make better connections to the words, thus a better opportunity to store the information in their long term memory.
3. Why should the language of an academic discipline be taught within the context of concept development?
Addie-Academic language should be taught within a concept development context because this is a more global approach. Students don't need to get bogged down trying to understand the specific terms, contexts, and ideas a rocket scientist would know. Rather, students simply need to have an idea of what the words mean and how they apply to the big picture.
Kelsey: I think teaching vocabulary words in the context in which you use them gives students a better opportunity to comprehend the meaning of the words and put it into long term memory.
4. What activities for vocabulary concept development help student define words?
Danielle-SOme strategies that can be used to define words and help to clarify meaning are using typographic clues, sytactic and semantic clues, modified cloze passages, OPIN, understnading word structure, and using the dictionary to look up and clarify meanings.
Amy – Some activities that can help students with vocabulary development are: definition word maps, morphemic analysis, vocabulary maps, and picture dictionary. All of these strategies show different ways that students can define a word and help commit that word to their long term memory. What I like about these strategies is that they work for all different types of learners. Most of the strategies are very visual, and some are even interactive. Students should be able to find a strategy that works for them within this list.
5. Authentic Question:
Visit a middle level classroom and observe how the teacher develops general and technical vocabulary
Addie-I'm observing in a Math class, 6th grade, and the teacher uses a word wall with technical terms. He changes it out for every new unit, but the kids are always looking to it, and he is always quick to point them to the board as a reference. It seems to be very effective!
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Danielle- Incorporating books that students are able to make a personal connection to is very important. I feel like they take away so much more and truly learn by incorporating resources such as these. I really enjoyed Civil War on Sunday and The Journal of James Edmond Pease. I thought these were great books that hte children would enjoy and learn alot from.
Addie-These resources are so powerful because they make the information exciting and bring it down to the student's level. In engaging the students, these resources provide a whole new outlook on the Civil War. For example, Civil War on Sunday helps the readers understand what life would be like during the Civil War by viewing it in the eyes of present day children out of place.
Amy – I love reading the text sets. I find them so interesting, and I believe they are so much better than a textbook. I think children will become excited about the War Between the States with this text set. My favorite books were Lincoln and Pink and Say. I just thought that they both gave an in depth look at something people believe they are knowledgeable about, like Lincoln or slavery. Both books showed a side of the war that people were not aware about. I think with books like these, the war because more interesting and personal.
Kelsey: I thought the imformation present was very interesting. I loved the book on the point of view of the slave. I thought it gave such a powerful message to todays students, who may know nothing of struggle faced by these people. I thought the book on children watching the Civil War in present day terms was interesting, I never thought about battles in that way.
LEARNING LOG 10
Swanson: Thank you for sharing your great thoughts. I loved reading your comments.
I just need TWO people to finish the last section.
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
- (REQUIRED) What are at least three main points the authors suggest to improve the topic in your classroom?
Addie-Three points the author suggests to improve writing across the curriculum are using academic journals, writing to learn (this includes microthemes, POVGs, unsent letters, etc) and finally, writing in disciplines.*Addie-Dr. Swanson, I love the idea of using learning logs in classes other than language arts. Have you seen this done successfully before?
Danielle- The author suggests ways to improve writing across the curriculum. The one that interested me the most was the academic journals, especially the historical character journals. Allowing the students to become th character will allow them to make personal connections and learn more from the material. The unsent letter strategy is also neat, it allow the students to summarize the material and give their opnion. Using microthemes is great, it doesnt require a great deal of writing but requires a great deal of thinking.
Amy – One main point about this chapter was writing to learn. In writing to learn, students are able to explore new ideas and concepts. They are also able to relate to the text and activate their prior knowledge. It is basically an easy and not stressful way for students to explore a topic on their own. Another important point about this chapter is the importance of academic journals. These journals allow students to record their feelings about a passage while also working on an idea. My personal favorite journal is the historical journal, because it also incorporates role playing and allows the students to become even more involved in the text. Another important point about this chapter is the importance of guiding the writing process. Students have a hard time just jumping into writing, but if someone guides students through the writing process they are more likely to succeed.
Kelsey: The authors suggest that teachers use journals, writing to learn, and writing in disciplines to help in the classroom. I love the writing to learn, I plan on using it in my classroom. I know that I learn much better when I am able to sit down and write about what I am learning at that moment. It helps me commit it to long term memory.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. Why should 6 Traits +1 serve as a foundation for writing? Look up 6 Traits plus one (
Addie-Six Traits plus one is a great way for students to think about and prepare for writing. If they go through the six traits and ensure that those are all strongly presented in their writing, they will have a good foundation. These are the six things that make for a great work!
Danielle-The 6 traits allows the student and the teacher to open communication over wrting and establishes a clear vision of what writing looks like for the students. It allows them to gain a good understanding of the writing process and helps to establish a good foundation and good writing habits.
Amy – This should be used, because it is further exposure for the students to learn how to write effectively. It shows them how they will be graded, and how to get their work to that level. I would implement this into my classroom by showing students what I expect of their writing. I would show them ways they can improve, and then have them evaluate the work under examples so that they could learn what good writing is.
Kelsey: The 6 Traits + 1 gives students more information about writing, which in turn will help students know what good writing is. Students will be able to understand how to formulate excellent work and excellent writing habits.
3. Why write for reader response?
Addie-Writing for reader response gets the writer in the mode of making sure everything is understandable from a less experienced reader's perspective. This ensures that the author knows what they are talking about and that they have put authentic thought into the writing.
Danielle- Having students write in reader response journals allows them to interact and connect with the text. they are able to write about their feelings and thoughts about the text and allows them to gain more understanding of the material.
Amy – Writers should always try to write for reader response. They should do this because it allows the reader to become more involved in the text. The more involved in the text the reader is, the more likely they are to find the information interesting. Also when you write for reader response, you evaluate your work on a much higher level. You ask yourself if the reader will be able to understand this concept with little or no background knowledge. Then you change your work accordingly.
Kelsey: Reader response lets the student and teacher know what the student have learned and understood from the text.
4. Authentic question:
Interview an intermediate or above classroom teacher about the writing, types of writing, writing process, etc. that s/he uses in the classroom. Also check on the assessment procedure.
Text Set
Amy – I have always found WWII both fascinating and horrible. I think the text set managed to show both of these while still making the subject appropriate for young children. My favorite book was Baseball Saved Us because the content in this book is often ignored in history. I knew that we did this to the Japanese, but it is not something I readily associate with WWII. I believe that it should be associated. We cannot learn from our mistakes if most people are not even aware of them. I think this text set, more than any of the others, helps with topic understanding of a time in history. The other text sets were wonderful, but this one allows students to see America’s mistakes. The children will feel for the Japanese, and I believe this feeling is something that each child needs to have in order to not let history repeat itself. Overall amazing text set.
*Amy – Have you ever read One Candle by Eve Bunting? It is a children's story about WWII. I read it recently, and as I was reading it, I thought of how good of a book it would be to be included in a WWII text set. It is an amazing book that shows what some Jewish woman had to go through in a concentration camp, but the story is still appropriate for young children. It is amazing, because the book lets them experience the despair the Jews felt without terrifying the children with facts that they cannot handle. So if you get a chance read this book. I think you will like it, and I believe it would be a great addition to your text set.
Thank you for sharing this book....I know of Bunting and she always writes great books but I have not heard of this book.
Missing are Kelsey and Danielle.
Addie-I found these resources particularly beneficial. I have always love Poloco books, and "The Butterfly" is no exception! The online webquests and videos look engaging and exciting for students, but my favorite thing about this text set is that it focuses on not just white male soldiers, but also on celebrating the different groups that took part in the war, like the code talkers.
Danielle- I really enjoyed the online activities. There are a great way to get students involved and engaged in learning about WWII. I think the online activities gives them hands on experience and allows them to make better connections.
LEARNING LOG 11
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
Thank you for being so complete, as a teaching scholar, and thinking.
Addie-The author suggests using study guides and graphic organizers to improve text study. He also suggests understanding the internal and external text structure, something I had never heard described as such before. Finally, the author suggests using reading guides that help students concentrate on one thing at a time while reading.
Kelsey: The authors suggest that to improve studying texts in your classroom, you should incorporate the importance of text structures, study strategies, and study guides. When students know the importance of the text structure, they can easily distinguish what is important to the text and what is not as important. With study strategies include graphic organizers, writing summaries, making notes, and taking notes. Study guides help students perceive patterns in the text.
Amy – One point the author suggests to improve the topic is graphic organizers. Graphic organizers teach students how to relate the concepts in the text, what is important in the text, and other avenues they can use to find additional information. Another point is teaching students how to write summaries. This shows students what the main points of the text are, and it helps with comprehension because the students have to write about what they learned. Finally, the authors suggest taking notes. I personally use this strategy when I want to comprehend something. It allows me to reflect and it helps me remember what I read better because I am a visual learner.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
Danielle-The author suggests to incorporate the use of graphc organizers to help the students understand the important information from the text. Also she suggests to have the students write summaries as this will allow them to be able to distinguish the important information from the less important information. lastly, she suggests to take notes. Taking notes will aid in remebering the material and there are ways that note taking can be adapted to fit any learning style.
2. How is internal text structure different from external text structure? Why should students know both?
Danielle-Internal text is the text writtent to inform and external text is graphs, tales of contents, indexes, etc. It is important for the student to know both text structures because because their is important information in both types of text that are essential to comprehending and understanding the material.
Addie-Internal text structure is different from external text structure in that external structure is simply how the text is arranged, or formatted. This is important for students to know because it helps this grasp the big picture of a text, learn from the graphics, or understand more about what they will be learning (to create more questions). Internal structure, on the other hand, is what they author is writing about--the information. This is important to know because, quite honestly, it is what they will be tested on and expected to know in everyday life.
Kelsey: The external texts are like the highlights of the chapter, the titles illustrations and the main points. The internal texts are the meat of the chapter the tell, show, and explain of the chapter. When students know both internal and external text structures they are able to easily comprehend the information of the text.
Amy – Internal text is written to inform. It has a text pattern and readers search for the structure in the text. Readers should be able to tell which information is important for them and which is not. External text tends to contain organizational aides that help the reader through the text. The readers are guided through the external text more than the internal text. Students should know how to use both because they are presented with both. They need to understand that by using the two together the reader can achieve maximum comprehension.
3. Graphic organizers help students comprehend and retain textually important information. How can you apply graphic organizers into the before, during, and after part of a lesson?
Danielle-You could incorporate a KWL chart for a before activty to activate the students background knowledge. You could have the students take notes during to help them establish the importance of the text. And for a after activity, you could have th students complete a problem and solution outline to depict the end reult of the text.
Addie-
I would use a K-W-L chart for the before part, a think-cloud organizer for the during, and a semantic map for the after part.
Kelsey: Graphic Organizers help before the lesson by give a brief outlook or overview of the text. Graphic Organizers help during the lesson by sorting out the information the student is reading at that point in time. And Graphic Organizers help after the lesson by giving a review of the information just read by the student.
4. Authentic question:
Interview a teacher and find our how s/he applies research/based graphic organizers to enrich writing and reading.Amy – The teacher I interviewed likes to use graphic organizers to reflect text patterns. Her favorite organizer to use is the problem-and-solution outline. She uses this organizer a lot because it helps her IEP and ELL students comprehend the text the most. When she uses this strategy, her students can recall the important aspects of the text days later.
WIKI TEXT SET RESPONSE: After reading the text set, how do these books and electronic resources help with the topic understanding?
Danielle-I liked the interactve mayflower website. i thought it made the whole experience extremly relateable and exciting. I think kids would really enjoy this website and learn alot about the mayflower by interacting wth it.
Addie-I was really excited about the book, On the Mayflower, because it presented pertinent information in a manner that students will enjoy and learn from, but it also presented technical words that will increase students' learning (like bosun).
Kelsey: I really liked the interactive website about the Mayflower. I thought it was really cool. Being able to be part of the journey really helped me learn the information painlessly.
Amy – I really enjoy these text sets. This text set in particular lets the students become actively involved in the text. I believe students learn so much more this way. They can relate what they are learning to an experience rather than just another textbook.
*Amy – Why do you not have a lot of books in this text set? Is it hard to find authentic books over the Mayflower?
I WAS RUNNING OUT OF ROOM ON THE BLACKBOARD SITE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE RESOURCES WHICH ARE POSTED THERE. I HAVE TO CHOOSE SOME OF MY FAVORITES.
LEARNING LOG 12
At the beginning of your answer, write your first name and then answer the question(s) fully.
I am missing Danielle in this wiki. KELSEY, I NEED THE LAST SET.
Amy – One point the authors suggest is implementing trade books into a teacher’s curriculum. This will allow the students to go more in-depth on topics that the textbook does not cover fully. Another point the authors suggest is creating text sets over topics. The students can access these books in their spare time, and they can select books that are appropriate for their reading level. Finally the authors suggest using trade books to prompt reader response. Students can write about what they have read to further increase their understanding of a topic.
Addie-Three points the author suggests to improve the text in the class are utilizing trade books as a supplement to textbooks, not necessarily on their own, using graphic novels and other exciting literacies to reach unmotivated students, and creating classroom libraries. I was in a class this morning were the teacher had a phenomenal class library, and the students were all thoroughly enjoying reading time! What a wonderful addition to the class! However, I think these are all important for student growth.
*Amy – How often did you use the textbook when you were teaching in the public school system?
Swanson: It depended on the topic and the class. Of course, I was bound by the math text. But in the literature section, I had freedom to do what I wanted and I usually teamed the literature either with the science or the social science (I taught 4, 5, or 6 grades). I rarely used the science textbook. I used the s.s. textbook as the foundation but quickly went to other sources to put faces on the people and make history come alive.
Kelsey: the authors suggest that teachers use graphic novels, interesting illiteracies and creating your own library for you classroom. I think that having new and interesting books or information in your classroom can help any student connect to the topic and have the motivation to learn.
Danielle- The author suggests incorporating trade books, which enable students to go deeper into the material and connect on a personal level. The author also suggested to create a classroom library with text sets that give students an opportunity to read them during self selected reading. Also, the author suggests to incorporate reader response strategies to allow the students to respond to the text and construct meaning.
CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TO ANSWER OR DO.
2. If teachers knew the problems with textbooks, why do they still use them? What can you do to eliminate the problems?
Amy – They use them because of testing. Textbooks cover the content that the students will be tested on, and teachers are being pressured to make sure students are learning this particular content. Teachers are also dealing with time constraints, and they have to make a lot of information fit into a short span of time. Textbooks are a readymade material that fills this need. Teachers can eliminate this problem with textbooks by planning ahead. They can find much more interesting texts that are more appropriate for their students and substitute the new text for the textbook. It will require more work on the teacher’s part, but if the students are learning more than it should be worth it. Teachers can also provide material that goes more in-depth on topics that the teacher feels the textbook lacked information on.
Addie-I think the primary reason teachers use textbooks is that the principals and schools require them to. Most teachers are afraid to do something different and so they just use the books, not even thinking about supplementing them with trade books. To eliminate the problem, I think if teachers understood that they could supplement textbooks with trade books and still satisfy school requirements, they would be more willing to use them.
Kelsey: I think teachers still use text books because they are under such pressure to teach towards the test. Textbooks guide teachers through a chapter with minimal involvement. I think if a teacher uses other illiteracies as well as the textbook in her classroom she can cover the information on the test as well as teach the students.
Danielle- I believe that teachers use textbooks partly because they are scared to be different and they are required to by administration. If teachers understood the power trade books have to engage students and that they really help them connect them to the material,and if teachers knew how available they are, I think more would incorporate them.
3. How would a trade book and electronic sources text set on an historical event enhance the curriculum?
Amy – It would allow the students to become more actively involved in the topic. The students will be able to relate and interact more in-depth with a text set then they could with just a textbook. They may also be able to see different viewpoints and understand how each side felt.Addie-Oh this would be such a great addition to the curriculum because it would engage students! Think of adding a trade book like the Magic Tree House, where students see history from someone like themselves' perspective. Adding electronic sources provides more opportunities for student success and is much more exciting for most students. These would definitely benefit the student!
Kelsey: The other mediums of literacy gives students a variety of ways to learn. They already feel comfortable with electronic sources and this is another way for them to cover the material in a more in depth and interesting way.
Danielle- Adding trade books would enhance their learning dramatically. It would allow the students to connect on a deeper level and become more engaged and create a more exciting learning environment.
4. Make a list of ten trade books which should be included in the study of the American Revolution. Give a rationale for each book and give in a sentence or two how you would use the books.
Authentic Question:
Take a poll of five teachers and find out how they integrate trade books into their content area classroom.Text SetAmy – This text was, as always, very interesting. I especially enjoyed the story The Pilgrims and Me. I think this is a wonderful resource for young students. They are hearing about a subject from the point-of-view of someone their own age. She speaks the same way that they do, and she reacts to things the same way that they do. I think this book will help students a lot with topic understanding because they can relate so much to it.Addie-I think this is a phenomenal text set! My favorite was "Dakota Duggout" because it relates both the hardships and the joys of prairie life--something that not all prairie books do.
Danielle- This was a really neat text set. I really enjoyed The Pilgrims and Me because it was really relate-able for the students and have wonderful illustrations.
KELSEY AND DANIELLE...FINISH THIS PART.